Corruption in health threatens SDG 3 and 5 - GII

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International (TI), has highlighted corruption in the healthcare sector as a major obstacle to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 and 5.

SDG 3 focuses on ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all, while SDG 5 aims to promote gender equality and empower women and girls.

GII Executive Director, Mrs. Mary Awelana Addah, emphasized that corruption in the sector “has the potential to hinder the provision of essential services, impede access to quality healthcare and education, and create vulnerabilities that tend to disproportionately impact negatively on the well-being of vulnerable groups such as women, girls, and persons living with disability.”

She made these remarks at a dissemination and training workshop on the Health Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) report, a key initiative under the All-Inclusive Services Delivery Africa (ISDA) Project. This study seeks to address corruption-related barriers that hinder access to education and healthcare for women, girls, and other marginalized groups across Africa.

The ISDA Project is being implemented in Ghana, DR Congo, Madagascar, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Canada by TI chapters, with financial support from Global Affairs Canada.

Mrs. Addah stressed that corruption risk assessments play a critical role in identifying weaknesses and recommending measures to prevent corruption in the healthcare sector.

She described the report as “the culmination of diligent efforts to identify, understand, and mitigate corruption risks that undermine the integrity of this crucial sector.”

“As an accountability institution, we believe that by shedding light on areas of vulnerability, we aim to foster transparency, accountability, and trust within our education and health systems.

“We hope that the report will not just be a document, but rather a catalyst for change, driving us towards a future where every patient receives the care they deserve, free from the shadows of corruption.

“As Senior Officials from the health sector, we look forward to fruitful discussions over the next two days that will eventually go to improve access to quality healthcare services for women, girls, and other groups at risk of discrimination in Africa by addressing corruption-related barriers,” Mrs. Addah stated.

She further urged stakeholders to take decisive action: “Together, let us commit to using these insights to build a more just and equitable society.”

Focus on Addressing Corruption Vulnerabilities

Mr. Benedic Doh, GII Finance Manager and the lead facilitator of the two-day training, clarified that the assessment was not an investigation into corruption within the Ghana Health Service. Instead, it aimed to identify vulnerabilities and loopholes that could hinder access to healthcare services, particularly for women, girls, and marginalized groups.

He explained that the study focused on the claims management process and supervision functions of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), noting that the training workshop served to share findings and recommendations while examining their implications for healthcare policies and practices.

Additionally, the session provided a platform for sector players to deliberate on integrating anti-corruption strategies into Ghana’s healthcare system.

“The assessment and its subsequent training were also to offer support to stakeholders to design mitigative measures to forestall any occurrence of the risk of corruption in the sector,” Mr. Doh stated.

Corruption’s Impact on Public Services

Mrs. Petra deGraftf-Johnson, Coordinator of GII’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Center, spoke on the ISDA project and the broader impact of corruption on public services.

She noted that corruption significantly undermines service quality and accessibility, exacerbating inequalities and reducing resources available to vulnerable populations.

She referenced TI’s Global Corruption Barometer—Africa 2019, which surveyed over 47,000 people in 35 African countries and found that one in four public service users paid a bribe.

According to the report, women, girls, and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected, as they rely more on public services. Women make up two-thirds of all patients in public health systems, with children being the second-largest group.

Mrs. deGraftf-Johnson emphasized that this form of corruption “further deepens inequalities, widens the development gap, and increases the poverty rate among those most marginalized.”

“We believe this goal will be achieved if public institutions take measures to close corruption loopholes in the education and health sectors for women, girls, and groups at risk of discrimination,” she noted.

The workshop concluded with a call for urgent reforms and stronger accountability mechanisms to safeguard healthcare services from corruption, ensuring equitable access for all.

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