Annual Programme of Work 2009 - Ministry of Health

Funding for research is currently less than government’s commitment of 2% of the budget.
Some costs are included in operational costs of the BMCs, and the ring-fenced figure in the
table includes a contribution both to costs of research coordination and GH¢50,000 each for
the three Research Centres (Demographic Surveillance Sites) in Dodowa, Navrongo and
Kintampo.
The allocation for equipment maintenance and reagents is largely to meet contractual
commitments. As the BMCs directly benefit from these inputs for service delivery,
establishment of a revolving fund is underway under the National Health Insurance
Authority, in order to free up funds for reallocation.
The allocation to free maternal delivery continues the initiative launched in 2008 by the
President. The initial agreement was that future allocations would be performance-based.
The budget line for expanding NHIS access for the poor has reduced from 2008. However,
linkages have been established with the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) and the LEAP
programme, and other sources of funding through DSW are being explored. Again, as with
other budget lines, figures are subject to change.
Figures for the MCH campaign reflect additional costs associated with publicity, fuel and
allowances and do not include double-counting of commodities such as insecticide-treated
nets and vaccines. A study to determine the added value of such campaigns is pending, and
the figures for this item and for HIRD may change following the conclusion of this study, and
to the need to improve routine immunization services in particular.
The large apparent increase in operational costs is due in part to the significant increase in the
value of IGF due to the growth in coverage of the NHIS, and also to the inability to break
down this sum in the absence of more details on the resource allocation formula. No attempt
has yet been made to allocate funds to those areas in which NHIS supports MOH (eg Health
Assistant Training, support for preventive programmes). Similarly, the allocation for
pharmaceuticals is currently incomplete as it requires further breakdown of IGF. The areas
which may benefit from these funds are shaded in Table 7 above.
Table 8 below shows the Item 4 allocation. As already mentioned, this excludes certain loanfunded
turnkey projects, and work is ongoing to complete and harmonise the figures. Details
of the NHIS resource allocation formula are also required to finalise this section.
Table 8 Allocation of item 4 budget by source of funds and programme
Item Description GOG SBS HIPC NHIF
User Earmarked
fees Funds
Total
Transport, & Ambulances - - - - - 5,700 5,700
Emergency & Obstetric Care Equipment - 1,500 - - - 221 1,721
ICT -
Item 4 : Infrastructure and equipment 7,000 4,000 - 10,620 24,547 19,883 66,050
Total Item 4 7,000 5,500 - 10,620 24,547 25,804 73,471
Note:
User Fees estimate reflects cash and carry (user fees) for item 2 which excludes NHIF source
NHIF represents total allocation to NHIA and the Schemes for item 4 as per the resource allocation
formula received.
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