This blog post is written by Ishan Kaur Khalsa, Policy Fellow in Healthcare Data, Chris Agape Ajah, Policy Fellow in Digital Health, and Peter Howitt, Managing Director of the Centre for Health Policy.
On 1 April the Centre for Health Policy at the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) hosted a delegation from Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The dozen-strong delegation worked across partnerships, research, policy, monitoring and evaluation, health purchasing, ICT, financing, and health services in Ghana.
The visit to the Institute by the delegation was part of a fact-finding mission to the UK organised by the NHS Consortium for Global Health with the goal of understanding the UK health financing and payment systems. Peter Howitt, Managing Director of the Centre for Health Policy, shared his expertise on NHS financing and the strengths and weaknesses of the UK model. In addition, his presentation expatiated hospital supply and procurement decisions, which resonated with the Ghanaian delegation.
Diagnostics for antimicrobial resistance
Discussions also covered IGHI’s Fleming Initiative – a global effort to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As part of this international focus, the Fleming Initiative will have a global conference on diagnostics in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, on 16-17 June 2025. This event will focus on the critical role of diagnostics in addressing AMR, with the broader goal of galvanizing a multinational consortium to drive the development of better, faster, and more affordable diagnostic tools to guide the appropriate use of antibiotics and treatments.
Cybersecurity in healthcare
The delegation was intrigued by Policy Fellow Dr Chris Agape Ajah’s presentation on the Centre for Health Policy’s recent work on cybersecurity in healthcare – especially the ECHO framework, which aims to help health systems assess and strengthen their cyber readiness. There was significant interest in opportunities to apply the tool within the Ghanaian context with several members expressing a desire to re-engage with the IGHI team to explore its relevance and adaptation for use in Ghana.
Future dialogues with Ghana
During the discussion, there was strong support for deepening future dialogue not only in the areas of health financing but also across IGHI’s broader initiatives on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and cyber readiness. Additionally, the Imperial Global Ghana Hub, which is West Africa’s first research and education partnership hub established by Imperial College London in Ghana, was highlighted. The discussion demonstrated how cross-sector collaboration, grounded in academic inquiry and policy relevance, can lay the foundation for more resilient health systems. The delegation expressed enthusiasm for further collaboration across multiple areas, and the day concluded not just as an event of shared learning but as the beginning of a dialogue rooted in mutual purpose and possibility.
