According to ghana news agency: 'Accelerating Adoption of Healthcare AI in Ghana: From Vision and Policy to Practice and Impact.'
Dr. Nimako emphasized that the policy is grounded in Article 34(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which obligates the State to ensure access to quality healthcare for all citizens. She stated that AI should be viewed as an integral part of a health systems strengthening agenda, aiming to improve service delivery, quality of care, patient safety, health equity, and the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
She noted the increasing complexity of Ghana's disease burden, citing persistent infectious diseases, rising non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions, injuries, and other co-morbidities. AI, according to her, offers opportunities to enhance disease screening, clinical decision support, disease surveillance, referrals, planning, and integrated healthcare delivery.
Dr. Nimako reported findings from stakeholder engagements, revealing that 44 percent of respondents were already using or piloting AI technologies, with 76 percent actively exploring AI applications in healthcare. However, 88 percent expressed concerns about patient data privacy, and 76 percent identified monitoring and evaluation as top policy priorities.
She stressed that Ghana requires a comprehensive lifecycle policy covering approval, procurement, validation, human oversight, monitoring, evaluation, and accountability, rather than just a list of AI technologies. Priority areas for AI improvement include clinical diagnosis, non-communicable disease management, remote consultations, disease surveillance, public health intelligence, hospital operations, medical records management, workforce planning, and staff wellbeing.
The policy will build on existing national legal and policy frameworks, addressing risks such as patient data privacy, cybersecurity, unreliable electricity, and internet connectivity, and algorithmic bias. Dr. Nimako emphasized that patient data should not be stored outside Ghana without safeguards and that AI should act as a decision-support tool, not a replacement for clinicians.
The policy will apply across public and private health institutions and involve various stakeholders, establishing principles, institutional arrangements, implementation standards, and accountability mechanisms. It aligns with international frameworks, including WHO guidance, OECD AI Principles, EU AI Act, UNESCO's AI ethics recommendations, and the African Union's AI Strategy.
Dr. Nimako outlined strategic objectives involving legal and regulatory framework strengthening, governance and coordination improvement, digital infrastructure expansion, human resource capacity building, health data governance enhancement, sustainable financing, and promotion of partnerships and innovation.
She emphasized the need for strong institutional leadership and robust data governance mechanisms to ensure safe AI deployment. Key partners in the initiative include WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, Health Facilities Regulator Agency (HEFRA), FDA, UGBS, UG, KATH, MOH, adb, Microsoft, Melcom, AU, EBID, and Africa CDC.