Health Ministry and TMPC Step Up Regulatory Oversight to Combat Disease and Ensure Service Standards

Ghana’s health sector is undergoing a significant shift toward stricter regulation and public safety, marked by a multi-front approach involving legislative reviews, grassroots advocacy, and direct enforcement. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced plans to integrate the elimination of industrial trans fatty acids (TFA) into a review of the Public Health Act, 2012. This move, aimed at expediting the legislative process, seeks to address the presence of partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) found in approximately 10% of packaged foods in the country. Dr. Hafiz Adam, speaking at a stakeholders forum in Accra, noted that the National Strategy for the Elimination of Trans Fatty Acids will require an investment of GH¢11 million to improve monitoring and enforcement by 2030.

Complementing these national legislative efforts, a grassroots campaign has been launched in the Central Region to advocate for mandatory front-of-package warning labels. Nutrition students from the University of Cape Coast (UCC), in collaboration with SEND Ghana and the Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND), are urging the government to adopt labels that clearly identify foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. Samuel Mbila-Smart, President of the GAND Students Association at UCC, emphasized that many consumers are unaware of the unhealthy ingredients in standard packaged foods, making clear labeling essential to curb the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the nation.

Parallel to food safety initiatives, the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has intensified its enforcement of licensing requirements for wellness facilities. In a recent operation in the Ashanti Region, the TMPC shut down three massage spas in Kumasi operated by Chinese nationals for failing to possess valid operating licenses. Divine Azraku, the TMPC’s Ashanti Regional Regulation Officer, stated that the closures are part of a broader mandate under the Traditional Medicine Practice Council Act 2000 (Act 575). So far this year, the council has inspected over 500 facilities nationwide, resulting in the closure of eight herbal shops and six spas in Accra for similar regulatory violations.

These combined efforts reflect a growing priority within Ghana’s health landscape to protect citizens through both preventive policy and active field monitoring. Whether through the banning of harmful food additives, the push for transparent consumer information, or the vetting of traditional medicine practitioners, the goal remains a standardized and safer public health environment. Moving forward, the success of these initiatives will depend on the Ministry of Health’s ability to secure the necessary funding and the public's continued support for dietary and wellness transparency.