Ghana faces a hidden health emergency as more than 3 million people live with rare diseases amid high diagnostic costs, weak infrastructure, and limited insurance coverage. Advocates are calling for a national policy, expanded NHIS coverage, and improved diagnostic systems to support affected families.
Browsing: rare diseases in Ghana
Leading optometrist Dr Samuel Tenagyei calls for urgent investment in medical research and genetic testing as rare diseases such as Retinoblastoma continue to go undiagnosed in Ghana’s health system, leaving families facing emotional and financial hardship.
In Ghana, thousands of children live with mysterious, undiagnosed illnesses that doctors cannot name. “The Long Road to a Name” investigates the country’s hidden crisis of rare diseases — revealing the emotional struggles of families, gaps in diagnosis, and the urgent need for genetic screening and policy reform to give these children a chance at life.
Over 7,000 rare diseases remain unnamed in Ghana, leaving thousands of children undiagnosed and untreated. This in-depth investigation exposes the hidden crisis of rare childhood disorders, revealing the human toll, health system gaps, and urgent need for early diagnosis and policy reform.