AFPNC founder calls for expanded NHIS coverage, longer maternity leave for mothers of premature babies

The Founder and Executive Director of the African Foundation for Premature Babies and Maternal Care (AFPNC), Selina Bentoom, has called for expanded National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) coverage, increased investment in neonatal care and longer maternity leave to improve survival outcomes for premature babies in Ghana.

She said the high cost of neonatal intensive care, gaps in health insurance coverage and inadequate support for parents after hospital discharge continued to expose premature babies and their families to significant challenges.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 3rd Purple for Prematurity Summit 2026, Ms Bentoom said some essential and expensive aspects of neonatal care, particularly medications, were not covered by the NHIS, leaving families to bear substantial out-of-pocket expenses.

She called for urgent expansion of the scheme to cover essential neonatal services, including psychological support and follow-up care, to ensure that babies receive holistic support both in health facilities and after discharge.

She warned that some babies were abandoned in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) because their mothers could not afford the cost of care or even transportation for regular hospital visits.

Ms Bentoom acknowledged government and stakeholder efforts but stressed the need for greater urgency and investment to prevent babies from dying because their parents could not afford essential treatment.

She also called for stronger family-centred care, urging healthcare institutions to introduce initiatives that encourage fathers to participate more actively in caring for premature babies.

According to her, some fathers withdraw from their families because of fear and a lack of understanding of the challenges associated with prematurity, rather than deliberate neglect.

She said healthcare facilities should provide an environment that educates and empowers men to support mothers and their babies instead of judging them.

On workplace policies, Ms Bentoom advocated an extension of maternity leave beyond the current three months, particularly for mothers whose babies are born prematurely, sick or underweight and require prolonged hospital care.

She said employers must introduce family-friendly policies that allow parents sufficient time to support their babies' recovery and development.

Ms Bentoom further urged businesses, pharmaceutical companies and other private-sector players to support maternal and newborn healthcare through innovative products, services and public-private partnerships.

She explained that broader stakeholder involvement was necessary because the needs of premature babies and their mothers extended beyond the hospital environment to workplaces, homes and communities.

The AFPNC founder said the third edition of the summit, held under the theme Small Babies, Big Potential: Invest in Follow-up Care to Protect the Future of Our Babies, was aimed at expanding stakeholder engagement and treating prematurity as a national development and healthcare priority rather than merely a charitable cause.

She recalled that recommendations from the previous summit, organised in collaboration with JoyNews National Dialogue, were presented to Parliament's Select Committee on Health, which unanimously approved them and referred them to the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Authority.

This year's summit expanded participation to include the Association of Ghana Industries, the Ghana Armed Forces, healthcare professionals, parent advocates and international participants from Uganda.

Ms Bentoom said the foundation would sustain its advocacy through media partnerships, public education, community outreach, fundraising and engagement with government institutions and private-sector organisations.

She disclosed that the organisation's Purple Basket Project had, over the past decade, distributed more than 10,000 baskets containing essential supplies to over 20,000 babies and families across seven regions in Ghana.

The initiative is intended to reduce the financial burden on families by providing basic items for mothers and babies in NICUs, allowing parents to redirect some of their resources towards medical expenses.

She said the foundation would also intensify public education on prematurity, combining scientific information with personal experiences of parents to help families make informed healthcare decisions.

Ms Bentoom urged educational institutions, particularly engineering students, to develop practical solutions to challenges in maternal and newborn healthcare.

Reflecting on the foundation's 11-year journey, she said it had completed more than 50 projects and reached over 700,000 babies and families through collaborative interventions.

She expressed optimism about expanding the foundation's work beyond Ghana and encouraging other African countries to adopt sustainable approaches to improving newborn healthcare.

She stressed that prematurity and maternal health must receive sustained attention and investment, regardless of where babies are born or their parents' financial circumstances.