Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has pledged that the government will collaborate with the Catholic Church to ensure the timely completion of the Legacy of Hope Paediatric and Children’s Cancer Hospital — a project aimed at improving specialized healthcare for Ghanaian children battling cancer.
She made the assurance during the Closing Mass of the 2025 Rosary Congress held in Accra on Saturday, October 18, 2025, reaffirming the government’s commitment to partner with faith-based organizations in expanding national healthcare infrastructure.
“This request is not for personal gain but for the national good,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said. “The government will work hand in hand with the Church to bring this project to completion.”
Government–Church partnership in national development
The Vice President’s remarks followed an appeal by Most Reverend John Bonaventure Kwofie, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, who urged the government to provide logistical and financial support to complete the hospital.
According to Archbishop Kwofie, the project — known as the Legacy of Hope Paediatric and Children’s Cancer Hospital — is designed to address the shortage of specialized paediatric oncology care in Ghana.
Once completed, the hospital will feature a radiology unit, intensive care unit (ICU), theatre, pharmacy, maternity block, and an outpatient department (OPD), making it one of the most comprehensive children’s medical facilities in the country.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang praised the Church’s contribution to healthcare delivery, saying such collaborations have historically strengthened Ghana’s social infrastructure. She called on Ghanaians to put national interest above partisan or personal considerations in pursuing sustainable development.
The hospital project comes at a crucial time. Ghana currently has only one major paediatric oncology unit — located at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital — which serves thousands of children annually. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1,200 new cases of childhood cancer are reported in Ghana each year, but fewer than half receive full treatment due to limited facilities and delayed diagnosis.
Health experts say the completion of the Legacy of Hope hospital could transform paediatric cancer care in West Africa, reducing treatment costs and saving lives that might otherwise be lost due to travel and access barriers.
Dr. Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, a health policy expert, told the Ghana Health Review earlier this year that partnerships between government and religious institutions could “fill critical gaps in healthcare, especially in oncology, maternal health, and rural service delivery.”
The Catholic Church is one of Ghana’s leading providers of healthcare through its extensive network of mission hospitals and clinics, especially in rural areas. Data from the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) shows that faith-based health facilities account for over 35% of all hospital services in the country.
These institutions have played a pivotal role in expanding access to essential services, particularly where government hospitals are overstretched or under-resourced.
The Church’s ongoing projects — including the Legacy of Hope Cancer Hospital — are seen as vital to supporting Ghana’s efforts toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under the National Health Policy.
Despite the optimism, concerns persist about the pace of completion and long-term sustainability of faith-based infrastructure projects. Funding constraints, equipment procurement delays, and bureaucratic hurdles have slowed similar projects in the past.
Analysts warn that without a clear financing and operational framework, even completed facilities risk underutilization.
However, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s renewed commitment signals that the government may prioritize the project in its 2026 health budget, potentially paving the way for renewed donor confidence and community support.
The Vice President’s engagement with the Catholic Church underscores a broader theme in Ghana’s governance — the growing importance of public–private partnerships in achieving national development goals.
As the nation grapples with limited healthcare resources, collaborative efforts like the Legacy of Hope Children’s Cancer Hospital could become a blueprint for addressing other critical gaps in healthcare delivery, from maternal mortality to non-communicable diseases.
For now, many Ghanaians await tangible progress — not just promises — to ensure that the country’s youngest and most vulnerable patients receive the care they deserve.
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