Govt will prioritise only 35 Agenda 111 projects — Health Minister
The government has decided to scale back the implementation of the Agenda 111 hospital programme, with Cabinet approving the completion of only 35 of the projects as part of a phased approach to expanding Ghana's healthcare infrastructure.
The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, announced the decision in Parliament on Wednesday, July 8, saying the move is intended to ensure the prudent use of public resources and align ongoing investments with national priorities.
The Agenda 111 initiative, introduced by the administration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was designed to construct hospitals in districts without healthcare facilities, alongside regional and specialised hospitals, to improve access to healthcare nationwide.
According to the Health Minister, Cabinet reviewed the programme and resolved that the remaining projects would be implemented in phases, with priority given to facilities that are at advanced stages of completion, serve areas with the greatest healthcare needs and ensure equitable regional distribution.
“I am happy to inform this House that there has been a Cabinet decision on Agenda 111 and we are supposed to phase them out and so Cabinet has taken the decision to invest in the first 35 districts or facilities.
“We will look at the level of completion, the need of the people of the area and we also look at the regional distribution and so at least we will have one facility in every region. Another strategy is to collaborate with the Christian Health Association of Ghana.”
Mr. Akandoh said the government would also strengthen its partnership with the Christian Health Association of Ghana to improve access to quality healthcare services across the country.
He noted that the collaboration with CHAG, a long-standing partner in Ghana's health sector, forms part of broader efforts to enhance healthcare delivery while ensuring available resources are used efficiently.
The minister maintained that the phased implementation strategy would enable the government to complete priority health infrastructure projects while responding to the healthcare needs of communities across all regions.