Health Sector Medium-Term Development Strategy 2010 – 2013.

The Health Sector Medium-Term Development Strategy is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach. The timeframe of the Strategy is 3 years between 2010 and 2013. The objectives of the Strategy are (i) to enhance access to health care and ensure sustainable financing arrangements that protect the poor, (ii) to improve the management and efficiency and effectiveness of the health system, (iii) to enhance access to quality maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent services, (iv) to prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases and promote healthy lifestyles, and (v) to strengthen institutional care, including mental health service delivery.
The nutritional well-being of people of all age groups, with emphasis on women and children, will be protected. The Regenerative Health and Nutrition program will be strengthened and integrated within the Health Education Programs of the Ghana Health Service, religious Health Associations, Ghana Education Service and private healthcare provider institutions. Utilization of traditional household food technologies will be encouraged to improve the bioavailability of nutrients. Access to quality maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health and nutritional services will be improved to reduce the rate of under-five, infant, neonatal and maternal mortality. Programs will be implemented to promote breastfeeding.
In order to promote food safety, and the intake of adequate and nutritious food, the requirements of the Ghana Codex Alimentarius will be implemented under the auspices of the Food and Drugs Board. District health systems will be strengthened by improving coverage of primary health care services at sub-district level through community health systems and by enhancing capacity building of district and sub-district teams. Sustainable financing strategies will be developed to enable the poor and vulnerable groups benefit from the health services. The national health systems will be developed at all levels through inter-sector collaboration including public-private partnerships. A Private Health Sector Development Fund will be established. The policy and regulatory framework of the health sector will be strengthened and updated. An enhanced system will be implemented for health information management at all levels. Prevention, detection and case management of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases will be improved. Access to quality institutional care and emergency services will be improved at all levels by the private sector support with emphasis on women and children.
Strategies will be developed to determine and respond to the influence of climate change on disease patterns.
The Ministry of Health is responsible for monitoring and evaluating activities of the health sector. Monitoring of the implementation will be done on a continuing basis, and will involve a systematic process of collecting, analyzing and disseminating data to show improvements in programme management and to guide resource allocation. The monitoring and evaluation exercise will be integral to the management process of the health sector and will support learning and decision-making.