Government has begun the full rollout of its flagship Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) programme in 135 districts, with the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, projecting that all 150 districts targeted under the first phase will be covered by the end of 2026.

The rollout, which commenced on Monday, September 7, follows the successful pilot phase of the initiative aimed at removing financial barriers to essential primary healthcare and shifting the country’s health system towards prevention and early detection.

Speaking at a press briefing, Mr Akandoh said the government was confident of extending the programme to all 150 targeted districts before the end of the year.

The first phase prioritises underserved communities, with services being delivered through CHPS compounds, health centres and polyclinics.

The programme covers essential preventive, diagnostic and basic curative services, including screening and treatment for common conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, malaria and respiratory infections.

Mr Akandoh said the rollout had also been accompanied by a major investment in health infrastructure and logistics to equip frontline facilities to deliver the services effectively.

He noted that health workers had been trained while family healthcare facilities were being retooled, with more than 24,500 pieces of medical equipment distributed to communities as part of the exercise.

The government had earlier announced plans to distribute more than 24,000 pieces of essential medical equipment to the 150 districts selected for the first phase, alongside logistics to support community outreach and home visits.

The Free Primary Healthcare programme was officially launched in April 2026 as a flagship intervention to complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), rather than replace it.

While primary-level services are provided under the initiative, referrals to district, regional and teaching hospitals continue to fall under the NHIS framework.

The programme also seeks to move healthcare delivery beyond health facilities, with health workers undertaking community education, screening, outreach and home visits to promote early detection and prevention of diseases.

The government has set 2028 as the target for nationwide coverage of the Free Primary Healthcare programme.