Skip to content
News release

World Health Day: Most Ghanaians worry about access to affordable medical care, new Afrobarometer study shows

7 Apr 2025 Ghana
Download (English)
News release
Key findings
  • Health ranks third on the list of the most important problems that Ghanaians want their government to address, cited by 33% of respondents as one of their three priorities. Only unemployment (41%) and infrastructure/roads (38%) draw greater concern (Figure 1).
  • More than half (53%) of Ghanaians say they or someone in their household went without medicines or medical treatment at least once during the previous year (Figure 2). This includes 15% who say this happened “many times” or “always.” The share of Ghanaians who report going without medical care has increased by 21 percentage points since 2019.
  • Almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents say they worry “somewhat” or “a lot” that they or a family member will be unable to obtain or afford needed medical care if they get sick. Another 19% say they worry “a little” (Figure 3).
  • A strong majority (62%) of Ghanaians say the government should ensure universal access to adequate health care, even if that means raising taxes (Figure 4). One-third (33%) disagree.

A majority of citizens say they worry that they or a family member would be unable to obtain  or afford medical care if they became sick, the latest Afrobarometer survey reveals.  

More than half of Ghanaians say they or someone in their household went without medicines  or medical treatment at least once during the previous year, a share that has increased by  21 percentage points since 2019.  

Health ranks as the third-most-important problem that Ghanaians want their government to  address, following unemployment and infrastructure/roads. 

A large majority believe the government should ensure universal access to adequate health  care, even if doing so requires raising taxes, a clear sign that citizens are willing to support policies that expand access to care.