The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MOFFA), Ghana’s regulatory body for the “death care industry,” is set to hold its first-ever practical licensure examination by year-end.
The examination will determine which operators qualify for an “operational license,” a requirement to legally conduct business in the industry.
Currently, no funeral home in Ghana—private or government-owned—has a license to operate, a gap MOFFA aims to address.
To equip industry professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge, MOFFA has established a training school at Pentecost University in Accra.
Discussions are underway with other universities to broaden training opportunities. Graduates of these programs must demonstrate practical expertise alongside basic academic presentations.
Although a law to regulate the industry was passed in 2011, it only became operational in 2019.
Established under the Health Institutions and Facilities Act (Act 829) on December 31, 2011, the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MOFFA) is tasked with licensing, regulating, and overseeing facilities involved in the storage, transportation, and disposal of human remains.
This includes deceased persons, stillborn children, and body parts removed during surgical procedures.
MOFFA is legally mandated to issue licenses only to qualified practitioners.
However, weak enforcement of these regulations has necessitated reforms, including the introduction of licensure exams to streamline industry practices.
At a dissemination event in Accra for inspection tools for death care operators, MOFFA’s Registrar, Dr. Yaw Twerefour, disclosed that only 17 facilities were recorded in MOFFA’s database as of 2022.
This number rose to 125 in 2023, though it still falls short of the actual number of existing facilities.
In response, a team of experts, including pathologists, doctors, and industry stakeholders, has developed globally recognized tools to standardize operations in the death care sector.
These tools, now mandatory for operation, have been introduced by 40 certified MOFFA officers who visited various funeral homes to ensure compliance.
