The Ministry of Health has undergone reforms since the last decade as part of Ghana Government's response to the structural adjustment programme. Key components of the reforms include regular policy review and implementation of programmes that will deliver effective and efficient health services. The main objective of the current reforms is to alleviate poverty and to "bridge the inequality gap". The latter has thus become the theme for the current Programme of Work (POW).

The current POW identifies key priority areas of activities with emphasis on finding alternative sources of health care financing to ensure equitable access to health care for all Ghanaians within a resource limited environment. The reforms also take cognisance of the numerous challenges that have been identified which tend to militate against attempts at improving the health status of the population in the medium term. Key among these challenges is the need to improve quality of care and to inject efficiency into the way in which resources in the health sector are used.

The Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) serves as one of the means by which quality of care can be provided for patients seeking health care. Through the use of well-established methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases seen in our health facilities, this edition brings together essential and current knowledge necessary for prescribers to provide the best of care to patients. Furthermore, by developing this document within the framework of the Essential Medicines Programme, it serves as an effective way of containing cost of treatment for both patients and the health sector. The recent implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) makes this even more imperative and the STG is going to be one of the key tools to be used by managers and practitioners in the NHIS

The fifth edition of the Standard Treatment Guidelines is aimed at all levels of healthcare, both in the public and private sectors, throughout the country and will assist healthcare professionals in their treatment choices Care was taken in the process of the review of the fourth edition to ensure a guide that will be acceptable and useful to all. This has resulted in a comprehensive and highly organised document, designed to serve as a clinical guide as well as an educational tool. I am sure that it will bring us closer to ensuring the proper management of all patients throughout Ghana in a standardised, quality and cost-effective manner

DR. KWAKUAFRIYIE
HON. MINISTER FOR HEALTH
DECEMBER 2004