The Minister of Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has performed a swearing-in ceremony in Accra last Thursday July 10, 2025, to officially usher in five critical health regulatory institution governing boards tasked with safeguarding quality, protecting public trust, and advancing Ghana’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Health Minister Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh emphasized that these agencies are more than bureaucratic bodies—they are frontline defenders of life, health, and dignity.
The newly inaugurated boards include; Health Facilities Regulatory Authority (HeFRA) task to ensure over 35,000 health facilities uphold safe and ethical care standards, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), charge to overseeing Ghana’s largest health workforce of over 130,000 professionals, National Vaccine Institute (NVI), leading the drive toward vaccine self-reliance, the Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR) mandated to blending traditional knowledge with scientific validation and the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) ensure dignity in end-of-life practices.
The Minister said these institutions are more than regulators but rather are guardians of quality, enablers of trust and are the quiet force protecting Ghanaians—across the full span of life and death.
He indicated that the health landscape in Ghana is transforming rapidly to the extent that the country is witnessing a rise in cancers, strokes, and kidney diseases. Our population is living longer but with increasingly complex health needs. Expectations are growing, and trust in the system must be
continually earned.
“These realities demand bold leadership. We cannot wait for illness to occur; we need to invest in prevention–through the soon-to-be-launched free primary healthcare where HPV vaccines would be introduced this September, and the MahamaCare initiative, among other strategies, along with systems that anticipate, protect, and serve,” Akandoh stated.
The Minister said as a country, “we must not see prevention as an afterthought but rather a strategy and strong regulation to effectively regulate, uphold standards, safeguard lives, foster confidence, and earn the trust of the people.
He added that their appointments are not just a duty but a charge to lead because Ghana needs the best from you to achieve the Universal Health Coverage which is only possible when the regulatory agencies function effectively.
Akandoh therefore charged the five institutions governing boards to perform to the highest standard to uplift the image of the Ghana Health Service and better the lives ordinary Ghanaian who deserves nothing less than a good health system that works.