In 2011, a groundbreaking healthcare initiative began in the Amansie West District of Ghana’s Ashanti Region. Covering 30 communities with a combined population of about 35,000 people, the Ghana telemedicine programme was launched as a pilot to address one of the country’s most persistent challenges: the difficulty of accessing timely, quality healthcare in remote and underserved areas. The project was spearheaded by the Novartis Foundation in collaboration with local and international partners, with the aim of centralising medical expertise while empowering frontline healthcare workers.
Telemedicine, as implemented in Ghana, uses information and communications technology (ICT) to connect community health workers directly to medical specialists through 24-hour teleconsultation centres. These centres are staffed by doctors, nurses, and midwives who provide real-time guidance, coaching, and treatment advice to community health workers managing patients in the field.
This model enables the management of emergency cases that would otherwise be beyond the capacity of local health workers, while also avoiding unnecessary referrals. As a result, patients save both time and money by reducing the need for long and costly journeys to distant hospitals.
The success of the pilot led to a major policy decision in 2016, when the Ghana Health Service selected the telemedicine model for nationwide implementation. Working with the Ministry of Health, the Novartis Foundation helped develop a roadmap for scaling up the programme and established six teleconsultation centres across the country. These centres were designed to support the long-term goal of achieving national coverage, ensuring that even the most remote communities could benefit from specialist medical input without leaving their localities.
The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated the value of telemedicine as a life-saving solution. With restrictions on movement and the need to limit in-person contact, the ability to provide remote consultations became critical. The Ghana telemedicine programme adapted quickly, integrating more deeply into the national health system and accelerating its reach. The Novartis Foundation documented the lessons learned from this experience in a telemedicine toolkit, intended to guide other countries and organisations in setting up similar provider-to-provider solutions.
The initiative has been supported by a diverse network of partners over the years, including the Millennium Promise Alliance, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Ghana Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Communication, the National Health Insurance Agency, the Ambulance Service, the Ghana Mental Health Authority, St. Martin’s Hospital, MedGate, Ericsson, and Airtel. This broad coalition reflects the multi-sectoral nature of the project, combining expertise in healthcare, technology, policy, and infrastructure to create a sustainable model for digital health delivery.
Today, Ghana’s telemedicine programme stands as a testament to how technology can bridge healthcare gaps in low- and middle-income countries. By centralising expertise, empowering community health workers, and reducing the barriers of distance and cost, it has improved the efficiency, quality, and accessibility of care for thousands of people. As the country continues to expand and refine the system, the lessons from Ghana’s journey offer valuable insights for other nations seeking to strengthen their health systems through digital innovation.
