President John Dramani Mahama has received high praise from the Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Alliance for his compassionate launch of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as “MahamaCares”.
The Alliance, along with People Living with NCDs and Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, commended Mahama for his forward-thinking leadership in addressing the urgent noncommunicable disease crisis in Ghana.
At the event held on April 29, 2025, President Mahama’s personal donation of six months’ salary as seed funding was hailed as a significant gesture demonstrating his deep understanding of the NCD challenges facing the country. Urging corporate Ghana to prioritize this critical health issue, Mahama emphasized the importance of tackling diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney and heart diseases, and stroke.
In a statement by the National Coordinator of Ghana NCD Alliance Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Mr. Labram Musah highlighted the President’s call for unity and action against NCDs. He emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to maximize impact and efficiently utilize resources, encouraging preventive measures alongside curative care.
The Alliance lauded Mahama’s initiative as a milestone towards Universal Health Coverage, stressing the significance of preventive measures to reduce the burden of NCDs in the long term. Mr. Musah proposed implementing strategies such as increased prices on health-harming products, health warnings on food items, and allocating excise tax revenue to sustain the MahamaCares fund.
Additionally, the need for public education on NCD risk factors, routine health screenings, and early referrals was emphasized to promote better health outcomes. Individuals living with NCDs echoed the importance of prioritizing prevention efforts alongside treatment measures to combat these diseases effectively.
As Ghana prepares for the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, the proactive stance demonstrated through MahamaCares is recognized as a model of national leadership and commitment to global health targets. The call to action for citizens to support this initiative and advocate for early detection, prevention, and treatment of NCDs was reiterated by stakeholders.
In a separate news story, accusations leveled against Kwabena Adu Boahene regarding alleged payments to the Defence and Interior Committee in Parliament were refuted by Chairman James Agalga. The claims were dismissed as baseless and lacking credibility, with Agalga clarifying the timeline of events surrounding the passage of the National Signals Bureau Act.
Furthermore, the arrest of a 25-year-old man named Yussif Mohammed for possessing a cache of ammunition and military items near the Asankare Police Barrier was reported. The suspect was apprehended with 207 rounds of various ammunition types, prompting an investigation by the Ashanti South Police.