Geneva, Switzerland, 12 October 2026- /African Media Agency (AMA)/ – A woman arrives at a health facility for a follow-up appointment. Instead of searching through shelves of paper folders, the health worker quickly retrieves her medical history through a digital system. Within moments, previous diagnoses, laboratory results, and treatment records are available, enabling faster and more informed care.
This is the future Ghana is steadily building. As digital health technologies become more widely used across the country, protecting patient information has become just as important as improving access to it.
To ensure the country’s policies keep pace with this transformation, the Ghana Health Service (GHS), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), convened a national workshop to review Ghana’s Medical Records Strategy and Operational Guidelines. The review brought together health information professionals, records officers, policymakers, legal experts and digital health specialists to update guidance that was developed nearly a decade ago.
The revised strategy will reflect today’s realities, including electronic medical records, data governance, interoperability, cybersecurity and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. More importantly, it will help ensure that patient information remains secure, confidential, and available to support quality healthcare.
The review comes at a critical time as Ghana continues to expand digital health systems. While technology is making health information more accessible and improving decision-making, it also introduces new responsibilities around privacy, accountability, and ethical data use. Updating the strategy will provide health workers with practical guidance to manage these evolving challenges while strengthening public trust in the health system.
Speaking at the workshop, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, emphasized that strong health information management is fundamental to quality healthcare.
“As our health system becomes increasingly digital, our policies must evolve to protect patient rights while enabling innovation that improves healthcare delivery. This review positions Ghana to build a health information system that is secure, trusted, and fit for the future”.
Dominic Atweam, speaking on behalf of WHO Representative, Dr Fiona Braka, reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting countries to build people-centred digital health systems.
“Digital transformation is not only about technology. It is about protecting people, empowering health workers, and ensuring that health information is used safely, ethically, and responsibly. By updating these guidelines, Ghana is strengthening the foundation for trusted digital health”.
For participants, the workshop also provides an opportunity to contribute practical experience from health facilities to shape policies that are both relevant and implementable.
“The discussions have helped us look beyond recordkeeping to understand the broader responsibilities that come with managing digital health information. The revised guidelines will better equip us to protect patient data while delivering quality care,” said Dr. Charlotte Cato, Deputy Director Clinical Care Service Greater Accra Region.
Once finalized, the updated Medical Records Strategy and Operational Guidelines will strengthen health data records and information management across Ghana by supporting secure data sharing, improving governance, enhancing cybersecurity, and preparing the health system for emerging technologies, including AI. Above all, they will help ensure that Ghana’s digital health journey remains centred on the people it is designed to serve.
Distributed byAfrican Media Agency (AMA)on behalf of World Health Organisation.
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