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On July 18, 2025, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, claimed that 15.65 million Ghanaians are enrolled on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He made this statement during his address to the media on the progress made in Ghana’s health sector in the first half of 2025, as part of the ongoing Government Accountability Series.
Fact-Check Ghana has verified the claim and finds it to be inconsistent with a similar claim made by the Finance Minister, Casel Ato Forson.
Claim: “Ladies and gentlemen, today [Friday, July 18, 2025], 15.65 million Ghanaians are enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme, an increase of about 670,000 from last year alone”.
Verdict: Contradictory
Explanation: Fact-Check Ghana’s review of the statement showed that the figure (15.65million) contradicts available data on NHIS enrolment stated in the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the 2025 Financial Year, read by the Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
“Mr. Speaker, active membership on the National Health Insurance has increased over the past decade to 18.4 million which is 56.3 percent coverage,” the finance minister said.
The minister’s claim is captured in paragraph 671 of the 2025 budget statement.
Also, on July 11, 2025, a news story headlined “NHIA Reviews Pilot Findings of Digital Health Platforms” on the National Health Insurance Authority’s website quoted the Senior Manager at the Management Information System (MIS) Directorate, Ebenezer Hooper, indicating that membership is over 18 million.
“NEPP is designed to provide access to quality pharmaceutical services for over 18 million active NHIS members. One of the major challenges encountered during the pilot was the limited number of NHIA-credentialed community pharmacies available to support the platform,” he stated.
Also, the Ministry of Health’s annual consolidated financial statement for the year ended December 31, 2024, states that:
“Active membership as of 31st March 2024 stood at 17.8 million representing 55% of a total population of 32.1million.”
In conclusion, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh’s claim that 15.65 million Ghanaians have enrolled on the NHIS contradicts the figures published by Finance Minister Cassel Ato Forson in the budget statement and the NHIA on its website.
