Accra: The Eastern Region has emerged as the national leader in active membership enrollment under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) during the 2025 mid-year review. Mr. Frank Addo, Eastern Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), commended staff for their dedication, which placed the region at the top nationwide. He spoke during the NHIA's 2025 mid-year performance review meeting in Koforidua, held under the theme: 'Reset, Reflect, and Refine for Greater Performance.' 'The region has been put on the NHIS map, and I laud you on that achievement,' Mr. Addo said.
According to Ghana News Agency, the review assessed progress, celebrated successes, and identified areas for improvement to ensure full-year targets are met. Mr. Solomon Duah, Eastern Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, reported that the region's enrollment target for 2025 is 2,219,766. As of mid-year (January to June), active membership stood at 1,661,275. Total registrations hit 612,512, with 102,220 indigents enrolled out of a target of 258,974.
However, Mr. Duah highlighted operational challenges, including lack of vehicles in districts such as Afram Plains, Kwahu East, Birim North, and New Juaben North, as well as understaffing in Okwawuman East and South, Fanteakwa, East Akim, and other districts. He also pointed to co-payment practices at health facilities as a major obstacle to enrollment. 'Co-payment practices at facilities are adversely affecting the registration drive,' he noted.
Recommendations from the review included enforcing regulations to curb co-payments, providing logistics support to underserved districts, and boosting staffing levels. The meeting brought together NHIS managers, public relations officers, and management information system officers from all 20 district offices in the region.
The NHIA remains committed to achieving universal health insurance coverage to ensure access to quality healthcare for all residents and visitors in Ghana.
