2026 Budget: 6 New Regional Hospitals, 10 Agenda 111 Projects – Analysing Gov't's Health Sector Plans

The President John Mahama-led government has, in the 2026 Budget and Economic Policy Statement, outlined several ambitious initiatives in the health sector. Key among these are the commencement of the construction of six new regional hospitals in six of the newly created regions, the completion of ten Agenda 111 projects, and the continuation of four key previously abandoned hospital projects.

Presenting the Budget on Thursday, 13 November, the Minister reaffirmed President John Mahama’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage, emphasising health as the “heartbeat” of national development. To advance this commitment, the government has allocated a total of 22.8 billion cedis to the Ministry of Health, representing approximately 7.5% of total expenditure. This marks a significant increase compared to the 17.8 billion cedis allocated in the 2025 budget.

This analysis synthesises the major priorities, expected outcomes, budget allocations, risks, timelines, and poverty-reduction implications of the 2026 health agenda.

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Key Priority Areas and Programmes

The 2026 budget highlights several flagship programmes aimed at expanding healthcare access, improving service quality, and ensuring financial protection for underserved populations. These include:

1. Construction of Six New Regional Hospitals:
   Government will initiate processes to construct new regional hospitals in the six newly created regions. Three of these facilities will break ground in 2026, alongside two district hospitals in Shama and Bole.

2. Completion of Ten Agenda 111 Projects:
   After years of slow progress, the government commits to completing ten hospitals under Agenda 111, signalling continuity and an emphasis on completing existing projects.

3. Continuation of Four Abandoned Projects:
   La General Hospital, Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Komfo Anokye Maternity Block, and the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua will all see renewed work. The government highlights these projects as symbols of restored trust in public healthcare delivery.

4. Upgrading of Seven Hospitals for Maternal and Child Health:
   Seven hospitals will receive targeted upgrades to improve maternal and neonatal services, including modernised equipment and expanded specialist care.

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Expected Outcomes

The combined impact of these initiatives is expected to elevate quality, equity, and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Anticipated outcomes include:

• Reduced regional disparities through the creation of new regional hospitals.

• Increased healthcare capacity and improved district-level services due to the Agenda 111 completions.

• Strengthened tertiary and specialised care as previously abandoned projects resume.

• Lower maternal and neonatal mortality through targeted upgrades.

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Budget Allocations and Comparative Analysis (2024–2026)

The 2026 allocation of 22.8 billion cedis marks a substantial increase in resources dedicated to the Ministry of Health compared with the 2025 allocation of 17.8 billion cedis.

Key programme allocations include:

• Government has allocated 600 million cedis for the commencement of three of the six new regional hospitals. As this is a new initiative, no allocations were made for the previous two years considered in this analysis.

• For the completion of the ten Agenda 111 hospital projects, government allocated 100 million cedis. This contrasts sharply with the previous two years. In 2025, no allocation was made for the project. Under the previous administration, the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund provided 687.4 million cedis for Agenda 111.

• In the 2026 budget, government’s commitment to completing abandoned health projects includes 60 million cedis for the construction of La General Hospital, the same amount allocated in 2025. Notably, 150 million cedis was allocated in 2024 under the previous administration, raising questions about how the project became abandoned and remained far from completion.

• GH¢79 million for upgrading seven hospitals.

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Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares)

• Focus on sustainable financing for NCD treatment and specialised medical services.

• Introduction of a comprehensive NCD financing policy covering eligible conditions, approved services, tariffs, and essential medicines.

• Diagnostic and treatment centres to be built on a public–private partnership basis in all major hospitals.

Expected Outcomes of MahamaCares

• A comprehensive NCD financing framework ensuring uninterrupted care without excessive out-of-pocket expenses.

• Diagnostic and treatment centres providing testing and care for identified NCDs under MahamaCares.

• Improved financial protection for households, especially through MahamaCares, which targets the most financially burdensome diseases.

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Budgetary Allocation to MahamaCares Programme

For 2026, government allocated 2.3 billion cedis of the National Health Fund to MahamaCares. This represents about 20% of the over 11.4 billion cedis allocated to the Fund. Since the initiative was launched on 29 April 2025, there were no allocations in previous budget years.

Implications of the Allocations

• A shift from mass construction under Agenda 111 toward targeted completion and quality-focused investment.

• Structural reorientation of health financing toward long-term disease burdens via MahamaCares.

• Continued inconsistencies in project allocations, raising concerns about procurement and project management.

• Stronger overall commitment to the health sector reflected in the increased budget.

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Key Risks to Implementation

1. Funding Sustainability: Risks of delayed releases, competing national priorities, and high dependence on public financing.

2. Politicisation of Health Infrastructure: Project abandonment during political transitions remains a concern.

3. Weak Accountability and Oversight: Limited stakeholder engagement and weak performance monitoring systems.

4. Capacity Constraints: Shortages of specialists, uneven workforce distribution, and high equipment costs.

5. Exchange Rate Pressures: Reliance on imported equipment increases vulnerability to inflation and currency depreciation.

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Timelines for Implementation

• New regional hospitals: construction beginning in 2026, expected completion by 2029.

• Ten Agenda 111 hospitals: completion projected within 2026.

• Abandoned projects: no timelines provided.

• Hospital upgrades and MahamaCares diagnostic centres: no detailed timelines released.

Where timelines are provided, they remain broad, signalling a need for clearer implementation planning.

Contribution to Reducing Poverty, Inequality, and Vulnerability

The 2026 health budget strengthens social protection through:

• Improved geographic equity with regional hospitals reducing disparities.

• Financial protection as MahamaCares reduces catastrophic health expenditure.

• Support for vulnerable groups through maternal and child health investments.

• Job creation across both health and ancillary services.

• Reduced urban and rural disparities through enhanced access to care.

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Conclusion

The 2026 health sector budget presents a major opportunity to transform healthcare delivery and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

Through expanded infrastructure, renewed commitment to long-stalled projects, and the innovative MahamaCares initiative, the budget prioritises equitable access, financial protection, and improved service quality.

However, its success depends on consistent financing, strong accountability, and operational capacity. If implemented effectively, the 2026 budget will strengthen Ghana’s health system and support national goals of poverty reduction, inclusive development, and long-term sustainability.

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This feature was authored by Maxwell Nyagamago, Kweku Essel-Amoah, and Ernestina K. Oppong as part of a one-day workshop training for journalists on the 2026 Budget hosted by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP).