Vice President calls for ethical recruitment agreements to protect Ghana's health workforce
via GhanaWeb2 min read
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for stronger international cooperation and ethical recruitment practices to address the migration of healthcare professionals from Ghana and other African countries. Speaking at the 2026 Annual Health Summit in Accra, the Vice President emphasized the need for bilateral labor agreements that balance opportunities for health workers abroad with safeguarding Ghana's healthcare system. She noted that while migration offers opportunities, it also poses challenges for maintaining adequate health worker numbers. Professor Opoku-Agyemang stated that Ghana's response must include investments in training, recruitment, deployment, and retention of health workers, especially in underserved communities. She announced government plans to recruit 16,000 health professionals to strengthen healthcare delivery and advance Universal Health Coverage. The Vice President stressed that recruitment alone is insufficient, highlighting the importance of creating conditions that encourage health professionals to remain in service, particularly in rural areas. She also renewed calls for African countries to take greater ownership of their health systems through increased domestic investment and reduced dependence on external support, referencing the Accra Reset on Health Sovereignty. Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, acknowledged workforce retention as a pressing challenge and outlined measures to strengthen the health workforce, i
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Ghana's Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has defended the government's decision to maintain tight public spending, attributing it to commitments under the International Monetary Fund IMF program. His remarks address criticism from the Minority, which claims the government is not spending despite improved economic indicators. Dr. Forson explained that the current administration inherited obligations from the previous New Patriotic Party NPP government's US$3 billion IMF bailout, which included a commitment to achieve a primary fiscal surplus of 1.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product GDP. He emphasized that IMF agreements are with the government, not political parties, and his administration is responsible for honoring these commitments to ensure Ghana successfully completes the program. The Minister also stated that government spending alone cannot resolve all economic challenges, particularly inflation driven by food prices and global fuel shocks. He noted that fiscal policy must work with monetary policy, highlighting an amendment to the Bank of Ghana Act to make inflation targeting a shared responsibility between the Ministry of Finance and the central bank. Dr. Forson expressed confidence that the government's disciplined fiscal approach would keep inflation within the target range, hoping to end the year with inflation at 5 percent.
Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board GoldBod, has defended the GH垄4.5 billion allocation to the institution in 2025, refuting claims of public fund siphoning. Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Gyamfi stated that Parliament lawfully approved the funds as revolving seed capital for GoldBod's operations, explicitly captured in the 2025 Budget Statement. He explained that the Ministry of Finance released the funds at the end of December 2025 after receiving necessary resources. Gyamfi questioned suggestions that the release constituted siphoning, arguing it followed due process and Ghana's public financial management framework. He criticized Abena Osei-Asare, Chairperson of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee PAC, for her comments, given her role. Gyamfi noted that GoldBod's 2025 financial statements were audited by the Auditor-General with no adverse findings and reported an operational surplus of GH垄909 million in 2025 from internally generated funds, as the government's seed capital was received at the financial year's end. He challenged the PAC Chairperson to find evidence of misappropriation in GoldBod's audited financials. Gyamfi also clarified that losses incurred by the Bank of Ghana under its Domestic Gold Purchase Programme should not be conflated with GoldBod's operations, as they are distinct entities with separate mandates.
A Ghanaian mother has gained widespread attention for her passionate coaching of her daughter, Gakye Nicky, during a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu BJJ championship. In a video that has circulated widely, the mother is heard shouting instructions in a Ghanaian language from the sidelines as her daughter competed. Her energetic encouragement included urging her daughter not to give up and to "break her hand" and "make sure she cries." The video was shared with a caption stating that the mother's coaching helped her daughter secure a gold medal in the martial art.