Pregnancy
Pregnant women are enrolled free of charge in the national health insurance scheme, which covers antenatal care, delivery, caesarean section and postnatal care. The policy has been in place since 2008 and is one of the longest-running of its kind in the region. Maternity leave is twelve weeks, extended for multiple births.
Ghana added free maternal care to the National Health Insurance Scheme in 2008, with automatic enrolment on registration of a pregnancy, and facility deliveries rose substantially. Coverage includes antenatal visits, delivery, caesarean section and postnatal care. Leave is twelve weeks paid, extended for multiple births or complications, and nursing mothers are entitled to a daily break.
Key points
| Free enrolment | Pregnant women are enrolled in the national health insurance scheme free of charge |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Antenatal care, delivery, caesarean section and postnatal care |
| Maternity leave | Twelve weeks, extended for multiple or complicated births |
| Antenatal care | At least four visits; eight contacts in the current standard |
| CHPS compounds | Community-based care points closest to rural households |
| Skilled attendance | High in the south, lower in the northern regions |
| Supplies | Some items are still bought by the family |
In practice
- Enrol in the health insurance scheme as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed: it is free and covers the delivery.
- CHPS compounds provide antenatal care close to home.
- Ask what supplies you need to bring before the delivery date.
- Keep the maternal health record book for every visit.
Cost and coverage
Antenatal care, delivery and caesarean section are covered by the national health insurance scheme.
Recent changes
The insurance scheme has extended the free maternal care package and moved registration and claims onto a digital platform, reducing the paperwork at the point of care.
Where to go
- National Health Insurance Scheme district offices.
- CHPS compounds and health centres.
- District hospitals for caesarean section.
Worth knowing
Free enrolment during pregnancy also covers care unrelated to the pregnancy for the duration of the membership. Very few women use it for that.
Frequently asked questions
How does free maternal care work in Ghana?
A pregnant woman is enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme without paying the premium, and the scheme covers antenatal care, delivery including caesarean, and postnatal care at accredited facilities. Register as early in the pregnancy as possible at the district scheme office.
How long is maternity leave?
Twelve weeks at full pay under the Labour Act, extended by at least two weeks for a caesarean or multiple births, plus an hour a day for nursing. Dismissal during maternity leave is prohibited.
The general article: Pregnancy · Compare with another country
Periods and period products
Ghana's 2024 budget, presented in November 2023, zero-rated locally produced sanitary pads for VAT and waived import duties on the raw materials for their manufacture; imported finished pads, which make up most of the market, still carry import duty, VAT and levies, which campaigners continue to contest. In 2025 the government launched a free sanitary pad programme for girls in basic and senior high schools, the first national scheme of its kind in the country.
Endometriosis is treated in the gynaecology departments of the teaching hospitals in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Tamale and in private clinics; laparoscopy is available in a few centres. The National Health Insurance Scheme covers consultations and some surgery in accredited facilities, with exclusions and out-of-pocket costs. Patient groups campaign for awareness.
Reusable pads are promoted by NGOs in rural areas; nothing is reimbursed.
Key points
| VAT and duties | Locally produced pads zero-rated since the 2024 budget; imported pads still taxed |
|---|---|
| Schools | National free sanitary pad programme for schoolgirls launched in 2025 |
| Endometriosis | Teaching hospitals and private clinics; NHIS covers part of care |
In practice
- Ask the school whether it receives the government pads and how they are distributed.
- Locally made brands benefit from the tax relief; imported ones do not.
- For pelvic pain, a teaching hospital gynaecology clinic is the reliable route; check what NHIS covers before surgery.
What it costs
A cycle costs roughly 15 to 40 cedis in disposables, more for imported brands. Free pads for schoolgirls under the 2025 programme; nothing otherwise reimbursed.
What has changed recently
The 2024 budget relief for local production was followed in 2025 by the free school programme; the tax on imported pads remains a live campaign.
Where to find help
- Ghana Revenue Authority: VAT and duty rules.
- Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service: free sanitary pad programme.
- Teaching hospital gynaecology departments.
- NGOs and patient groups on menstrual health and endometriosis.
Worth knowing
The relief applies to local production; check the origin on the pack if price matters. And a school programme depends on delivery: ask.
Frequently asked questions
Are sanitary pads taxed in Ghana?
Locally produced pads are zero-rated for VAT since the 2024 budget; imported pads still carry duties and VAT.
Are pads free for schoolgirls?
A national free programme for basic and senior high schools started in 2025.
Is there menstrual leave?
No.
Sources
- Ghana Education Service — free sanitary pad programme — national programme launched in 2025
- Ghana Revenue Authority — VAT and duty rules
The general article: Periods and period products · Compare with another country
Mental health
A 2012 Mental Health Act and a levy to fund it, with a treatment gap that remains among the widest in the world.
Ghana's Mental Health Act of 2012 created a rights-based framework and a dedicated levy, though funding has lagged behind the statute.
Ghana's Mental Health Act of 2012 was progressive for its region — a rights-based statute with a commission, provisions on consent and a prohibition on inhumane treatment, including in prayer camps. Its funding mechanism, a dedicated levy, was slow to materialise. Three psychiatric hospitals in the south carry most inpatient care, while community psychiatric nurses provide the only service many districts see.
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2012 Act say about prayer camps?
It prohibits inhumane treatment of people with mental illness, including chaining and forced fasting, wherever it occurs, and gives the Mental Health Authority powers of inspection. Enforcement has been partial, and non-governmental organisations have documented continuing practices in some camps.
Where can someone get treatment?
At the three psychiatric hospitals in Accra, Pantang and Ankaful, at psychiatric units in regional hospitals, and through community psychiatric nurses attached to district health services. Treatment is subsidised, and the insurance scheme covers part of it.
The general article: Mental health · Compare with another country
Dental care
Health insurance covers pain relief and extraction but not restorative or prosthetic work, which is paid for privately.
The National Health Insurance Scheme anchors dental care, paying for pain relief and extraction but not restorative or prosthetic work.
The general article: Dental care · Compare with another country
HIV and AIDS
Free treatment through the national programme, with testing built into antenatal care.
Ghana provides antiretroviral treatment free of charge through designated sites across the country, coordinated by the national AIDS commission and the health service. Testing is integrated into antenatal care, which remains the main route into diagnosis, and community organisations extend testing to groups less likely to attend clinics.
Ghana provides free antiretroviral treatment through designated sites, with the National Health Insurance Scheme covering related care, and has introduced PrEP for key populations. Testing is available at health facilities and through community outreach; self-testing has been introduced to reach people who avoid clinics.
Key points
| Treatment | Free at designated antiretroviral therapy sites |
|---|---|
| Testing | Free at public facilities; routine in antenatal care |
| Prevalence | Moderate, with regional variation |
| PMTCT | A priority programme with wide antenatal coverage |
| PrEP | Being introduced for populations at higher risk |
| Health insurance | The national scheme covers related care, with treatment itself provided free |
| Stigma | Remains a barrier to testing and retention in care |
In practice
- Ask for the nearest designated treatment site rather than assuming any hospital dispenses.
- Request multi-month dispensing if travel is difficult.
- Community organisations provide confidential testing and support.
Cost and coverage
Testing and antiretroviral treatment are free; incidental costs relate to travel and other tests.
Where to go
- Designated antiretroviral therapy sites.
- Ghana AIDS Commission and Ghana Health Service.
Worth knowing
Not every hospital dispenses antiretrovirals. Identify the nearest designated site at the outset so that a missed refill does not become an interruption.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you be tested in Ghana?
At health facilities offering counselling and testing, through community outreach programmes, and increasingly with self-test kits. Testing is free at public facilities, and a reactive result leads to confirmatory testing and same-day linkage to treatment where available.
Hepatitis B
High prevalence, routine infant vaccination from six weeks, and a birth dose that is not universal.
Hepatitis B is highly prevalent in Ghana, with several per cent of adults chronically infected. Vaccination is part of routine immunisation from six weeks in the combined vaccine, but a universal birth dose is not in place, leaving perinatal transmission incompletely addressed. Treatment is available in teaching hospitals, generally at the patient's cost.
Ghana includes hepatitis B in the pentavalent vaccine from six weeks of age but does not give a universal birth dose, so perinatal transmission remains possible. Prevalence is high, and the National Health Insurance Scheme's coverage of antiviral treatment has been a long-standing point of advocacy, since the drugs themselves are inexpensive.
Key points
| Prevalence | High: several per cent of adults are chronic carriers |
|---|---|
| Vaccination | Routine from six weeks in the combined vaccine |
| Antenatal screening | Increasingly offered, not universal |
| Treatment | In teaching hospitals, usually at the patient's cost |
| National health insurance | Covers some related care but not all antiviral treatment |
In practice
- Chronic carriers should be monitored regularly, even without treatment.
- Discuss with a clinician before delivery if you are a carrier.
Cost and coverage
Routine immunisation is free; testing and antiviral treatment usually are not.
Where to go
- Health centres and CHPS compounds for vaccination.
- Teaching hospitals for specialist care.
Worth knowing
Vaccinating the household of a carrier is inexpensive and prevents most onward transmission. It is the step most often skipped.
Frequently asked questions
Is treatment covered in Ghana?
Coverage of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B under the insurance scheme has been limited, which means many patients pay out of pocket for drugs that are cheap to produce. Advocacy for inclusion continues; ask at a teaching hospital's liver clinic about current arrangements.
HPV
Screening through visual inspection, with HPV vaccination introduced into the national programme.
Ghana has worked to introduce HPV vaccination into its routine immunisation schedule after earlier demonstration projects, and cervical screening is available at public facilities, mainly through visual inspection with acetic acid. Cervical cancer remains among the most common cancers in women, largely because screening coverage has been low.
Ghana has not yet introduced HPV vaccination into its routine national programme, despite cervical cancer being a leading cause of cancer death among Ghanaian women; the vaccine is available privately and through pilot and donor-supported projects. Screening is opportunistic rather than organised, offered at some facilities and through periodic campaigns.
Key points
| Vaccination | Introduction into routine immunisation for girls aged 9 to 14 |
|---|---|
| HPV testing | Available in larger centres and some programmes |
| Treatment | Thermal ablation or cryotherapy for detected lesions |
| Burden | Among the most common cancers in women |
| Cost | Free or low cost at public facilities |
In practice
- Ask at a health centre or CHPS compound about screening: it is free or low cost.
- Have daughters aged 9 to 14 vaccinated when the programme is offered.
- A lesion found on visual inspection can often be treated during the same visit.
Cost and coverage
Screening is free or low cost at public facilities; the vaccine is free through the national programme.
Where to go
- Health centres and CHPS compounds.
- Ghana Health Service cancer control programme.
Worth knowing
Screening coverage, not availability, is the problem. Visual inspection is quick, free and gives an immediate answer — but almost nobody is invited, so it has to be requested.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get the HPV vaccine in Ghana?
Privately at hospitals and clinics, at a cost, and through donor-supported or pilot projects in some districts. It is not yet part of the routine national immunisation schedule, though introduction has been planned and advocated for several years.
General sources
- Ghana.gov — official government portal