Community-based Health Planning and Services — healthcare delivery strategy expanded under Ghana's Free Primary Healthcare initiative to strengthen community health systems.
… is designed to provide free access to basic healthcare services -including disease prevention, health promotion, maternal and child healthcare, treatment of common illnesses, immunisation and management of chronic conditions – through Community-based Health Planning and Services …
… According to him, several Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds initiated under previous administrations have been completed, furnished, and equipped to improve healthcare delivery in underserved communities. …
… The policy will be implemented through existing healthcare structures, including Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centers and polyclinics. …
… include establishing a national fistula registry, expanding year-round surgical services, increasing access to treatment in underserved regions, strengthening funding mechanisms and improving community-based case detection through the Community-based Health Planning and Services …
A new Madina Market Free Primary Healthcare Post has been inaugurated at Madina in Accra, with plans underway to construct a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound by July this year. …
… Dr Nsiah-Asare further stated that the project formed part of a broader strategy to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare delivery system, from Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds at the community level to district and regional hospitals. …
… Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds accounted for nine percent, with specialised facilities receiving the remaining four percent. …
… Under the policy, approved service delivery points include Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, public health units of polyclinics, community pharmacies, health kiosks, mobile clinics and community outreach centres. …
… For Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, the absence of electricity can mean the difference between life and death, especially during nighttime emergencies. …
The Ghana Health Service has outlined four priority areas for the success of the government's Free Primary Healthcare programme: strengthening community health systems, investing in health workers, digital innovation, and sustainable financing. Deputy Director-General Dr. Caroline Reindorf Amissah said implementation success will depend on practical execution at the community level, with particular emphasis on expanding the Community-based Health Planning and Services strategy and collaboration between health facilities and local communities.
Why it matters
Ghana Health Service identifies four priorities for Free Primary Healthcare programme, a key government health initiative affecting all Ghanaians.
The Ghana Health Service has outlined four priority areas for the success of the government's Free Primary Healthcare programme: strengthening community health systems, investing in health workers, digital innovation, and sustainable financing. Deputy Director-General Dr. Caroline Reindorf Amissah said implementation success will depend on practical execution at the community level, with particular emphasis on expanding the Community-based Health Planning and Services strategy and collaboration between health facilities and local communities.
The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) has endorsed the government's newly launched Free Primary Healthcare initiative, calling it a bold and transformative policy toward Universal Health Coverage. CHAG's Executive Director said the association would actively champion implementation through its nationwide network of health facilities.
The Yilo Krobo Municipality has achieved significant infrastructure expansion and improvements in public service delivery within the first year of the NDC administration, according to the MCE. Key accomplishments include completion and commissioning of healthcare facilities, and the assembly's focus on healthcare, education, sanitation, roads, agriculture, and employment creation.
Ghana's Free Primary Health Care Initiative was launched in the Western Region, with five districts—Ellembelle, Jomoro, Wassa East, Wassa Amenfi West, and Wassa Amenfi Central—selected for the first phase. The programme aims to remove financial barriers to healthcare access as part of efforts toward universal health coverage, with 150 districts nationwide participating initially and all 251 districts expected to join by 2027.
Ghana's Health Ministry, Parliament and the UN Population Fund have stepped up action against obstetric fistula after figures showed that only 1,096 women out of 3,688 recorded cases between 2016 and 2025 received reparative surgery. The country records about 845 new fistula cases annually while treatment capacity remains significantly lower.
Ghana has inaugurated a Madina Market Free Primary Healthcare Post in Accra and plans to construct a CHPS compound by July. The Minister of Health said the initiative, selected for 150 of 261 districts in the first phase, shifts the healthcare system from "sick care" to prevention and early intervention.
Former Ghana Health Service Director-General Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare has defended the Akufo-Addo administration's Agenda 111 hospital project, insisting it was adequately funded and conceived to address weaknesses in healthcare infrastructure exposed by COVID-19. President John Dramani Mahama has criticised the initiative as poorly planned and financially unsustainable.
The National Health Insurance Authority paid over GH¢157 million in claims to healthcare providers in April 2026, including outstanding accrued claims dating back to 2019. Private facilities received the largest share, with high-volume facilities accounting for 64 percent of the payments.
The Minister for Health launched the Free Primary Healthcare Policy in Oti Region on May 9, describing it as a milestone to strengthen Ghana's healthcare system and expand access to essential medical services through designated facilities including CHPS compounds, polyclinics, health kiosks, and mobile clinics.
Dream Renewables, a Ghana-based NGO, is deploying renewable energy solutions to rural healthcare facilities in the Amenfi West District that currently lack reliable electricity. The initiative addresses critical gaps in nighttime healthcare delivery at off-grid CHPS compounds serving multiple communities.