Accra: Stakeholders have called for evidence-based Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) to become a central pillar of Ghana's Free Primary Health Care (PHC) agenda to improve health outcomes. They emphasized that investments in health infrastructure, health workers, and essential services would deliver limited results without public trust, community ownership, and sustained positive health behaviours. This call to action was made at the opening of the 2026 Social and Behaviour Change Evidence Summit organised by the Health Promotion Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
According to Ghana News Agency, the two-day summit, themed 'Strengthening Free Primary Health Care in Ghana through Evidence-Based Social and Behaviour Change for Sustainable Health and Wellbeing,' highlighted the importance of integrating SBC into the country's health strategies. Dr Caroline Reindorf Amissah, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, stressed that merely expanding access to health services does not ensure better health outcomes. She emphasized the need for public trust and empowerment, with communities playing an active role in safeguarding their health.
Dr Amissah highlighted the crucial role of Social and Behaviour Change in health programs, stating that Ghana's progress in areas like immunisation, malaria prevention, maternal and child health, and HIV testing has been driven by clinical interventions supported by community participation and behavioural change. She urged health planners to prioritize data-driven decisions, utilizing operational research, implementation science, and community evidence in designing interventions.
Professor Elvis Tarkang of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) described behaviour change as the crucial link between the availability and utilization of health services. He noted that while the government can provide quality health services, without corresponding changes in individual and community behaviour, the desired health outcomes would remain elusive. Professor Tarkang called for greater investment in evidence-based health promotion interventions to address behavioural barriers.
Dr Priscilla Madzinga-Kusena of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) advocated for recognizing Social and Behaviour Change as a core function of public health systems. She emphasized that many barriers to health service uptake stem from system weaknesses rather than inadequate communication, and highlighted the importance of understanding community conditions and behaviours before designing interventions.
Mrs Mabel Kissiwah Asafo, Acting Director of the Health Promotion Division of the GHS, stated that the summit reflects Ghana's commitment to ensuring evidence informs policies, programmes, and investments in primary health care. She encouraged participants to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and forge partnerships to strengthen evidence-based Social and Behaviour Change programming across the country.
The summit brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, and health practitioners to examine evidence, share innovations, and develop recommendations to bolster Ghana's Free Primary Health Care programme through effective Social and Behaviour Change interventions.