The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has incorporated breast cancer screening into its benefits package under the newly introduced Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) policy, a move officials say will shift the focus of Ghana’s health system from treatment toward prevention.
The move is expected to improve early detection and reduce mortality associated with breast cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana.
The announcement was made by the NHIA’s Director of Operations, Miriam Musah, during a courtesy visit by the Ghana Cancer ImPACT Review Mission Team at the Authority’s head office in Accra. The delegation, comprising both local and international cancer experts, engaged the NHIA on strategies to enhance cancer control, planning and treatment nationwide.
According to Ms Musah, the FPHC reform is designed to shift the healthcare focus toward prevention and health promotion, supported by a dedicated funding structure. “What the NHIA is doing through the new reform is to define a preventive and promotive package for healthcare services and to create a funding line for it,” she stated.
In addition to expanding screening services, the Authority is also reviewing treatment tariffs to improve access to cancer care. The Director of the Claims Processing Centre, Abigail Derkyi-Kwarteng, disclosed that while chemotherapy is already covered under the Scheme, tariffs for radiotherapy have been increased by approximately 120 percent and are pending implementation.
Further elaborating on the Scheme’s coverage, the NHIA’s Deputy Director for Strategic Health Purchasing, Eunice Nkrumah, indicated that treatment for cancers such as cervical and breast cancer is currently supported. Prostate cancer, she added, is under assessment for possible inclusion.
The Scheme also extends to paediatric oncology, covering treatment for childhood cancers including Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, Burkitt Lymphoma, Retinoblastoma and Wilms Tumour—conditions that require specialised and often costly care.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, ImPACT Mission Programme Officer Alfred Karagu noted that the mission forms part of broader global efforts to strengthen health systems, particularly in cancer care delivery. “We are here to see how we can strengthen the health system, especially in the area of cancer care and treatment,” he said.
The Ghana Cancer ImPACT Review Mission Team commended the NHIA for expanding access to cancer services and expressed optimism that the revised tariffs, once implemented, will further improve treatment accessibility.
Health experts view the integration of breast cancer screening into the FPHC package as a timely intervention that aligns with global efforts to prioritise early detection and equitable access to care—an approach considered critical in reducing the national cancer burden.
Source: Graphic Online
