President John Dramani Mahama has called for stronger and more responsive regulation of healthcare professionals across Africa, arguing that better regulatory systems are essential to protecting patients and improving the quality of medical care.
He said health regulation on the continent must evolve alongside changes in healthcare delivery, professional mobility and technology, while remaining fair, effective and suited to Africa’s realities.
President Mahama made the call at the 28th Annual Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) in Accra, which brought together medical regulators, practitioners and other stakeholders from across the continent.
The conference is examining how African countries can strengthen professional standards, improve patient safety and move towards more coordinated regulation of healthcare workers.
Regulation Must Focus on Better Outcomes
President Mahama said the solution to weaknesses in healthcare regulation was not simply to introduce more controls, but to ensure existing regulatory systems worked better.
He stressed that regulators must be able to respond appropriately to changing circumstances while protecting patients and supporting health professionals to deliver quality care.
“Responsive regulation is not simply about regulating more, it is about regulating better. It is about knowing when to guide, when to support, when to correct and when to sanction,” he said.
According to the President, regulatory systems should be firm and fair while drawing on international knowledge without losing sight of the realities confronting African health systems.
He said regulation that fails to adapt risks becoming disconnected from the needs of both patients and healthcare professionals.
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Continuous Training and Accountability Required
Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, said effective regulation must cover the entire professional life of healthcare practitioners.
He explained that regulators must ensure proper training before health professionals begin practice, hold them accountable for their conduct and require them to continuously update their knowledge throughout their careers.
“You have got to regulate the training of health professionals, you have got to hold them accountable in their practice, you also have got to make sure that they keep abreast with knowledge throughout their years of practice,” he said.
Professor Akosa maintained that such oversight was necessary to preserve professionalism and ensure patients consistently receive care from properly trained and competent practitioners.
Cross-Border Movement Raises Patient Safety Concerns
The increasing movement of healthcare professionals between African countries was also identified as an important regulatory challenge.
Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana, Dr Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, said patient safety must remain protected regardless of where a health professional chooses to practice.
He argued that as doctors and other practitioners cross national borders, regulators must be able to quickly verify their qualifications, professional standing and registration history.
“Our commitment as regulators is to ensure that whilst practitioners may cross borders, patient safety must not be left behind,” he said.
Africa-Wide Verification System Proposed
Dr Banyubala called for the development of an Africa-wide data infrastructure that would allow regulatory bodies to authenticate doctors and other healthcare professionals more efficiently.
Such a system could improve information sharing among medical councils and help prevent individuals with questionable credentials or professional records from exploiting regulatory gaps between countries.
It could also make it easier for qualified health professionals to move between jurisdictions while maintaining consistent standards of accountability and patient protection.
The proposal forms part of broader discussions on harmonizing medical regulation across Africa as countries work towards greater regional integration.
harmonized Standards Could Strengthen Healthcare
Participants at the conference stressed that closer cooperation among African medical councils could help establish more consistent professional standards across the continent.
harmonization is expected to become increasingly important as healthcare workers seek opportunities beyond their home countries and governments explore greater regional cooperation in healthcare delivery.
President Mahama said responsive regulation should ultimately strike a balance between protecting the public and creating an environment that enables health professionals to deliver effective services.
The 28th AMCOA Conference, held under the theme “Responsive Regulation for Safer Communities towards Universal Health Coverage,” is focused on strengthening regulatory systems, improving patient safety and supporting Africa’s broader pursuit of universal health coverage.
SOURCE: MICHAEL EDUAH / ATLFMNEWSROOM
