The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has sworn in the governing boards of five key regulatory agencies under the ministry, with a call on them to drive transformation, uphold standards, and ensure the health system truly works for the ordinary Ghanaian.
The boards inaugurated included the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HEFRA), Nurses and Midwifery Council (N&MC), Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR), and the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MOFAR).
The newly constituted boards will be chaired by the following individuals: HEFRA, Dr Belinda Afriyie Nimako; N&MC, Dr Mary Ama Opare; CPMR, Henry Rockefeller; NVI, Charles Akwasi Agbeve; and MOFAR, Dr Ernest Boakye.
It formed part of efforts to strengthen the country’s health sector and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
Strong Regulation
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Akandoh described the institutions as more than regulators but as “ guardians of quality, enablers of trust, and the quiet force protecting Ghanaians across the full span of life and death.”
He emphasised that with the country’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, stroke, and kidney failure, the board aims to reset the system through bold leadership, innovation, and strict regulatory enforcement.
To address these challenges, the minister said the government was investing in prevention through bold initiatives such as the Free Primary Healthcare programme, the HPV vaccination rollout in September, and the Mahama Care Initiative, as well as efforts to build resilient systems that “anticipate, protect, and save.”
Mr Akandoh assured the boards of the ministry’s full support in executing their mandates.
“You have not been appointed to manage.
You have been appointed to transform. We don’t need caretakers. Ghana needs champions, strategic thinkers, bold hearts, and steady hands.”
Standards
To HeFRA, Mr Akandoh said, as an agency which oversees more than 35,000 facilities in the country, they must set standards and enforce them to ensure that every Ghanaian receives the quality of care.
“You have the mandate to shut down any facility that fails to meet standards. We are not asking you to manage—we are asking you to transform,” he added.
He emphasised that health facilities must be places of healing, not sites of further infection.
To the NVI, the minister called on the board members to accelerate the country’s journey toward vaccine self-reliance.
Recalling the painful realities of global vaccine inequity during the COVID-19 pandemic, he underscored Ghana’s ambition to become a pharmaceutical hub under President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership.
He urged the institute to collaborate globally, deliver locally, and transform the country from a vaccine purchaser into a vaccine producer.
Mr Akandoh charged N&MC to protect the dignity of the profession and the competence of the country’s largest health workforce.
He urged the council to “Raise the bar and champion a workforce that is empowered, respected, and committed to excellence. Let the patient always be at the centre of care.”
To CPMR, the Minister urged the members to validate and modernise herbal medicine through research and scientific rigour.
He said that with approximately 70 per cent of Ghanaians depending on traditional remedies, the centre must ensure every medicine is safe, evidence-based, and competitive on a global scale.
He referenced the long lives of older generations who used herbal concoctions and encouraged the centre to embrace innovation while preserving heritage.
On the issue of death care, the Minister charged the MOFAR to bring order and humanity to a space that has long suffered from neglect.
Mr Akandoh said, “Dignity must not end with life. Even how people are buried can impact public health. Some facilities must be closed if they don’t meet standards. Do not fear criticism—transformation requires courage.”
He said that as funerals had become increasingly commercialised, MOFAR must uphold standards, ensure decency, and protect public health, even in death.
Appreciation
The Board Chair of HeFRA, Dr Belinda Afriyie Nimako, thanked the President and the Minister for the trust reposed in them.
She said they would not take their roles lightly and were committed to achieving universal health coverage and maintaining public trust in the healthcare system.
