Country profile on family medicine and primary health care in Ghana

Abstract

Overview of country and burden of diseaseIn 2010, Ghana became a lower middle-income country with a gross domestic product (GDP) of$40.12 billion ($39.20 billion in 2011) and a gross national income per capita of $1810. Despite thisoverall progress, there is still significant inequality in economic growth between the north andsouth, which translates into a gap in human development where the north lags behind. With anestimated 28.6% of the population living below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, Ghana’s totalhealth expenditure represents 4.8% of the GDP (total expenditure on health per capita is $90 perperson), and 59.5% of this is spent in the public sector.1 Ghana is being confronted with a doubleburden of disease, with non-communicable chronic diseases increasingly featuring among the top10 diseases seen 2