People with lived experience of NCDs applaud Mahama’s NCD initiative

The Ghana NCD Alliance, along with People Living with NCDs and Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, praised President John Mahama. They commend him for launching the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known as MahamaCares.

They are particularly pleased that he donated six months of his salary as seed funding. He also directed all government appointees to donate one month of their salaries to the fund.

During the official launch on April 29, 2025, the President spoke about non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These include diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney and heart diseases, and stroke. He urged corporate Ghana to align their social responsibility strategies with this important national issue.

Individuals living with NCDs shared their concerns about these diseases. They expressed gratitude for the President’s initiative. Martha Coffie, who has multiple NCDs, said sharing personal stories makes these issues more relatable.

Essel Francis Cudjoe, who lives with diabetes, thanked the President for his support. However, he reminded him to prioritize NCD prevention as a key response strategy.

The Ghana NCD Alliance highlighted the financial burdens caused by NCDs. They made several recommendations for improving the President’s initiative. Many Ghanaians face high healthcare costs and limited access to treatment due to these diseases.

While MahamaCares is a significant step toward Universal Health Coverage, they emphasized that it should not focus only on curative care. As the initiative develops, they recommend including preventive measures like public education on risk factors.

These risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity. Regular health screenings for early diagnosis are also essential.

Preventive actions such as increasing prices on harmful products can help reduce pressure on the fund. Marketing restrictions and health warning labels on food items will lower reported NCD cases in hospitals over time.

The alliance called on the government to create sustainable funding policies. These interventions will ease long-term pressure on the fund by reducing disease incidence and treatment costs.

They also urged public inclusivity in facilitating this program. As we approach the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September 2025, Ghana's proactive stance could serve as a model for national leadership.

The alliance encourages all citizens to support this initiative and raise awareness about early detection and prevention of NCDs.