The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has held a meeting with the Ministry of Health to discuss its ongoing mission within Ghana’s health system. The discussions focused on strengthening vaccine support and providing technical assistance to the country’s health sector.
The visit also aimed to outline GAVI’s mission for the year 2025 and to assess progress made over previous years.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, welcomed the delegation from GAVI—an alliance committed to enhancing immunization programs and ensuring sustainable vaccine financing. He reaffirmed Ghana’s dedication to ensuring that every child has access to life-saving vaccines.
Alhaji Adam acknowledged key challenges, including the need to sustain immunization financing and to accelerate initiatives such as the Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP) and Expanded Access to Immunization Financing (EAF). He noted that over the next few days, the mission would facilitate high-level engagements with government officials, development partners, and civil society organizations. According to him, these discussions will be crucial for reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to sustainable vaccine financing, tracking progress on GAVI-supported programs, and addressing implementation bottlenecks.
The Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, expressed gratitude to GAVI for its role in addressing vaccine inequities, especially among vulnerable women and children. He highlighted Ghana’s proactive steps to prevent vaccine stockouts and emphasized the country’s continued commitment to meeting its co-financing obligations despite financial constraints.
“We recognize the importance of sustainable domestic financing, and we are taking strategic steps to ensure timely payments and uninterrupted immunization services,” he stated.
Hon. Akandoh also indicated that as Ghana prepares to transition from GAVI support, discussions are underway to secure long-term funding for immunization. The government, through the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC), is currently developing an Investment Case for Immunization to improve vaccine coverage and strengthen healthcare infrastructure.
Regarding procurement efforts, the Minister noted that Ghana is prioritizing improvements in cold chain infrastructure, strengthening disease surveillance systems, and addressing issues such as the underestimation of birth cohorts, which impacts vaccine planning.
He concluded by emphasizing that Ghana’s collaboration with GAVI and other global health partners remains critical in achieving universal immunization coverage and protecting the health of every child.
The Senior Country Manager for GAVI, Ms. Aichatou Cisse, made a presentation to project the groups achievement in the provision of vaccine immunisation support for Ghana, financial needs, acknowledging supporting partners and the way forward. She indicated that their support for Ghana’s Health Ministry comes in 3 folds, which include health system strengthening, vaccine support and technical assistance. She expressed the groups profound gratitude to the ministry for their continued collaboration as well as hosting them for the briefing.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/PR Unit
