Mrs. Yaa Pokuaa Baiden,  a  Deputy Chief Executive for Administration and Human Resources at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has praised the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as the NHIA’s most significant development partner.

 She highlighted USAID's substantial financial contributions over the years, which have been instrumental in enhancing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and advancing Ghana's goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

Speaking in Accra on Friday, May 31, 2024, at the conclusion of a year-long USAID-sponsored ‘Trainer of Trainers’ programme for selected NHIA Regional and District Office frontline staff in the Southern belt, Mrs. Baiden emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the NHIA and the development community to meet global UHC goals by 2030.

Mrs. Baiden urged NHIA frontline staff to adopt positive mindsets, attitudes, and behaviours to increase the NHIS's active membership, which stood at 17.8 million in 2023. 

She expressed confidence that the Trainer of Trainers programme had equipped NHIA staff to support Executive Management in providing financial risk protection through a new policy focus on preventive healthcare and wellness.

Encouraging staff to be proactive, dedicated, and efficient, Mrs. Baiden stated, "Let's be productive and maintain good relationships between ourselves and NHIS members. 

Shape your corporate and marketing strategies to benefit both the organization and its members. We will continue to provide financial risk protection to all scheme members."

She also stressed the importance of teamwork, advising staff to avoid creating parallel authorities within offices and to work collectively towards the shared goal of achieving UHC.

Throughout the training, Acting Director of Corporate Affairs (NHIA), Mr. Oswald Essuah-Mensah, encouraged staff to leverage the programme for enhanced performance and professional growth. 

At the programme’s conclusion, he called on staff to lead transformational change in line with the global agenda of achieving UHC by 2030.

Background

In March 2023, the NHIA and USAID signed a five-year, $6.7 million partnership agreement to fund various initiatives, including the empowerment of NHIA frontline staff through the Trainer of Trainers programme.

The Corporate Affairs (CAF) Directorate, in collaboration with the Training and Development Unit of the Human Resource and Administration Directorate of the NHIA, spearheaded the year-long Trainer of Trainers programme.

 The training sessions were conducted in Tamale for the Northern enclave staff, Kumasi for the middle belt staff, and Accra for the Southern belt staff.

Participants in Accra underwent a comprehensive three-week training programme, acquiring knowledge in customer service, relationship building, effective writing skills, communication, marketing, branding, and the Call Centre’s mandate and challenges. 

Facilitators from the CAF Directorate, including Miss Ruth Kukua Ntumy-Coleman, Madam Hannatu Mustapha Adam, Senior Manager Naphtali Awuakye-Kyei Baffour, and Senior Manager Abdul Karim Naatogmah, led practical and interactive sessions, enhancing participants' interactive skills.

Participants praised USAID and the NHIA for the opportunity to improve their skills in customer service, relationship building, effective writing, communication, and branding, as well as understanding the Call Centre’s role and challenges