[2] In addition, the democratic shift in Ghana spurred healthcare reforms in an attempt to address the presence of infectious and noncommunicable diseases eventually resulting in the formation of the National Health insurance Scheme in place today.

[5] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Ghana achieves 89.3% of what is expected based on its current income.

[6] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 78.0% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.

[2] In 1878, the Towns, Police, and Public Health Ordinance was enforced, initiating the construction and demolishing of infrastructure, draining of the streets, and issuing of fines to those that failed to comply with the heads of the colony.

[9] After World War II it became increasingly clear that with improved transportation worldwide, international health policy needed to be strengthened.

[2][10] These organizations provided, "financial and technical assistance for the elimination of diseases and the improvement of health standards.

[3] During the period, the government encouraged socioeconomic development by improving citizens' welfare, including increasing their access to healthcare.

[1] As part of these reforms, the private medical industry expanded and healthcare was made free for most citizens.

During the Colonial and early post-Independence periods, most healthcare was focused on the control of epidemics and the treatment of infectious diseases.

In response to democratic demands, the Rawlings regime transitioned to create a political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), legalized political parties, and organized Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 1992 during which Rawlings won with 58.3 percent of the vote.

[3] The new democratic constitution under Rawlings included provisions to better social policies such as education and healthcare in the midst of the rising HIV/AIDS epidemic.

In the precolonial period traditional priests, clerics, and herbalists were the primary care givers, offering advice.

According to the World Health Organization, the most common diseases in Ghana include those endemic to sub-Saharan African countries, particularly: cholera, typhoid, pulmonary tuberculosis, anthrax, pertussis, tetanus, chicken pox, yellow fever, measles, infectious hepatitis, trachoma, malaria, HIV and schistosomiasis.

[17] Malaria occurs every year and affects people of all ages and demographics with women and children under 5 being the most vulnerable groups.

[1] According to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, the prevalence of malaria in children ages 6 months to 5 years is 36%.

[20] The CDC, Ministry of Health, and Ghana Health Services collaborate to develop and implement malaria control initiatives such as insecticide treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying, improving diagnostics, research, and case management.

[17] Insecticide treated mosquito nets have been identified as a cost-effective and sustainable public health method to combat malarial infections.

[20] Although 70% of women and 82% of men have knowledge and use of HIV awareness and prevention methods, HIV/AIDS remains a large common health problem as many individuals do not consistently use a condom, have multiple partners, and fail to get HIV/AIDS testing.

[17] Though largely ignored by healthcare, public health, and governmental policies, chronic disease prevalence and mortality rates have increased in the present day.

[1] This shift in causes of death from mostly chronic diseases and among wealthy urban populations to a mixture of chronic and communicable diseases in poorer populations reflects increasing life expectancy rates and differences in access to healthcare among differing communities.

By 2003 four chronic diseases, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and cancer, had become among the top ten causes of death in Ghana.