The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is intensifying efforts to modernize Ghana’s healthcare system through a strategic partnership with NHS England aimed at enhancing data analytics and governance capacities.

Launched in 2023, the collaboration has emerged as a key driver of knowledge exchange between the two institutions, with a strong emphasis on strategic health purchasing, healthcare evaluation, and the use of data for informed policymaking.

This commitment was underscored at the start of a five-day NHIA–NHS England collaborative workshop in Accra on Monday, April 28.

The training, centred on data analytics and governance, brought together 20 NHIA personnel, including directors and senior staff from critical departments such as Actuarial, Strategic Health Purchasing, Corporate Affairs, and the Co-payment Taskforce.

Addressing participants at the opening, Dr. Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations at NHIA, noted that data-driven strategies are becoming increasingly essential to policy formulation and service delivery in the health sector.

“Our collaboration has already yielded significant progress in strategic purchasing, and with this week’s focus on data analytics, I am confident that we will deepen our achievements even further,” he stated.

Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations at NHIA

Dr. Djokoto outlined several core objectives of the NHIA that are being advanced through the NHS partnership, including improved costing processes to eliminate out-of-pocket payments by NHIS members, the development of sustainable funding indicators, and strengthening the use of analytics for evidence-based decisions.

“This initiative is fully aligned with the vision of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, who has committed to two groundbreaking interventions: Free Primary Health Care and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares to address complications arising from chronic diseases,” Dr. Dzokoto said.

Dr. Djokoto also highlighted the role of digital transformation in the NHIA’s broader strategic outlook, pointing to plans for a Business Intelligence platform supported by strong data governance frameworks.

“Our aim is to harness the full potential of our data to build a more efficient, transparent, and data-driven NHIS,” he emphasized, calling for stronger collaboration across Ghana’s health sector to drive collective progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

He added: “Our Chief Executive, Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe, has articulated on multiple platforms the key NHIA policy priorities that this collaboration seeks to advance: Optimization of costing and tariff derivation processes to eliminate the need for out-of-pocket payments by NHIS members; Enhanced use of data and analytics to strengthen evidence-based decision-making; Development of robust indicators to support sustainable funding for preventive and promotive health services; and Strengthening public engagement and participation to ensure the NHIS remains responsive and inclusive.”

The workshop is structured to help participants improve their ability to communicate insights across technical and non-technical teams, resolve analytical challenges, and identify areas for service improvement.

Emily Carey, Senior Health Systems Adviser at the NHS Consortium for Global Health, spoke on the scope of the partnership, which spans three thematic areas: strategic purchasing, data analytics and governance, and annual health checks.

“The current focus is on data analytics and governance, with the goal of building capacity and solutions between the NHS England team and the NHIA,” she explained. “Specifically, the partnership will explore predictive models of data and how to leverage NHIA's data to inform decision-making. This collaboration is expected to improve efficiency and strengthen the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).”

According to Carey, the project marks the beginning of a long-term working relationship between NHS England and the NHIA, with both institutions committed to finding practical solutions to the challenges in health system data governance.

Magnus Owusu-Agyemang, Director of Actuarial at NHIA, also welcomed the opportunity, emphasizing how the initiative would strengthen the Authority’s internal systems.

“This collaboration is certainly going to improve our work. Emily and her team have rich experience and knowledge, which they will share with us. My team is eager to learn, participate, and contribute as much as possible within the available time,” he said.

He added that the NHIA intends to use the knowledge gained from this engagement to refine its health financing structures and improve service delivery through deeper analytics.

The workshop will continue throughout the week, offering participants a platform to build skills, foster innovation, and reinforce NHIA’s role in shaping a data-driven future for Ghana’s health sector.