Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah: Ghana’s Deputy Health Minister Secures Top International Appointment
- Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has been appointed as a Secretariat Member of the AHLMC
- She is expected to contribute to major reforms in health governance, financing, equity, and resilient health systems across the continent
- The appointment, confirmed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, underscores her growing influence in continental health policy
Ghana's Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has been appointed as a Secretariat Member of the African High-Level Ministerial Committee (AHLMC).
According to a report by GhanaWeb, Dr Ayensu-Danquah, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency in the Western Region, is expected to help lead reforms of the global health architecture to benefit the African continent.
Source: Facebook
The AHLMC is a flagship initiative of the African Union (AU) aimed at strengthening the continent's influence in global health decision-making.
The Deputy Minister's appointment was confirmed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, and signed by the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya.
This follows the decision by the AU Assembly at its 39th Ordinary Session in February 2026.
The Committee was established to consolidate Africa's position and push for a more equitable, coherent, and effective global health system.
Under the AHLMC framework, the Secretariat, which is led by the Africa CDC and supported by member states including Ghana and South Africa, provides strategic, technical, and operational support to the Committee.
Its work includes high-level engagement, policy and analytical support, stakeholder coordination, and the delivery of agreed reforms.
As a member of the AHLMC Secretariat, Dr Ayensu-Danquah will contribute to advancing key priorities such as health governance reforms, sustainable financing, equity in access to healthcare, resilient health systems, and data and accountability.
"Each thematic workstream is supported by a dedicated Secretariat to ensure coordination and high-level, high-quality outcomes."
More details about Dr Ayensu-Danquah's credentials
Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, a double board-certified general surgeon, is a seasoned public health expert with advanced fellowship training in trauma, burns, and reconstructive surgery.
In 2025, she was sworn in as the Deputy Minister for Health by President John Dramani Mahama.
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Her credentials include a Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California, a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
She previously served as an Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah's Centre for Global Surgery and has lectured at the University of Cape Coast Medical School.
In 2020, she contested the Essikado-Ketan Constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) but narrowly lost to Joe Ghartey.
However, in the 2024 elections, she staged a strong comeback, winning the seat for the first time for the NDC since 1992.
Dr Ayensu-Danquah is the founder of the Healing Hands Organisation, an NGO that provides free medical care and equipment to underserved communities in Ghana.
Health Minister warns doctors
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, had warned that medical doctors who refuse postings to rural and underserved areas risk losing their placement.
He said the policy aims to address the persistent imbalance, with nearly half of Ghana’s doctors based in Greater Accra.
Source: YEN.com.gh
