A lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Eric Tornu, has called for a shift towards a proactive approach to palliative care in Ghana, saying it would reduce treatment costs and improve the quality of care for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

He made the call while addressing participants at the 77th Annual New Year School and Conference in Accra, a platform for stakeholders to discuss strategies for achieving sustainable development across Ghana’s various sectors.

This year’s conference carried the theme: “Building the Ghana We Want, Together for Sustainable Development,” and Dr Tornu used the opportunity to advocate for the integration of proactive palliative care into the national healthcare system.

Speaking on the topic 'Proactive Palliative Care as Health Promotion: A Paradigm for Human Capital and Sustainable Well-being in Ghana,' he emphasised that early intervention could enhance well-being and contribute to sustainable human capital development.

Dr Tornu highlighted that health systems in Ghana often wait until patients present with advanced complications, which increases both suffering and healthcare costs.

He explained that proactive palliative care requires anticipatory planning, early engagement, and consistent follow-up rather than waiting for crisis-driven interventions.

“We should shift from reactive hospital-based palliative care to more proactive, community-centred care,” he stated.

The lecturer also underscored the need for strong governance and policy frameworks to guide the design of proactive palliative care across hospitals, homes, and community settings. He explained that clear policies would align care delivery with real-life contexts and ensure consistency throughout the healthcare system.

Dr Tornu further suggested that restructuring health systems to focus on preventing complications linked to chronic conditions would be more effective than responding after deterioration has occurred.

“We are not just waiting for people to come with high blood pressure or high blood glucose levels; we have to have more people in the environment to prevent those complications from occurring,” he said, noting that early engagement at the community level would reduce avoidable suffering and ease pressure on health facilities.

He added that proactive palliative care should embed community advocacy and social counselling into service delivery, ensuring that health interventions remain connected to patients’ social and cultural realities.