Ghana is facing growing concern over the future of its child immunisation programme after cuts in foreign aid created a major funding gap in the country’s health sector.
A recent report says the suspension of several US-funded programmes has left Ghana facing an estimated $156 million funding gap across affected programmes, including a projected $78.2 million shortfall in health funding. The affected services include malaria prevention, maternal and child healthcare, nutrition, family planning and HIV programmes.
The funding crisis has raised particular concerns about routine childhood immunisation. Although vaccines may be available, health workers still need money for transportation, outreach programmes, cold-chain equipment and efforts to track children who miss their vaccine appointments.
This is especially important in rural and hard-to-reach communities, where healthcare workers often travel long distances to vaccinate children. A study in northern Ghana found that many districts had experienced vaccine delays or irregular supplies following the withdrawal of donor support.
Ghana has made important progress in protecting children against preventable diseases. The country was among the first in Africa to introduce the RTS,S malaria vaccine into its routine immunisation programme. Research involving Ghana, Kenya and Malawi found that the vaccine was linked to a reduction in deaths among eligible children.
However, health experts warn that maintaining these gains will require more reliable funding.
The problem is becoming more urgent because Ghana is also gradually moving towards greater responsibility for financing its own vaccines. Ghana is in an accelerated transition away from Gavi support and is expected to take full responsibility for financing its immunisation programme by around 2030. Ghana’s health authorities have already begun discussions on sustainable financing and long-term planning for the programme.
The Ghana Health Service and Parliament have also been discussing ways to strengthen domestic financing for priority health programmes, including immunisation, as external donor support declines.
Experts say the situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While the immediate funding cuts could affect healthcare services, they have also renewed calls for Ghana to rely more on domestic resources, private-sector partnerships and stronger government investment in healthcare.
In the Oti Region, where many communities are rural and difficult to reach, health officials have warned that funding shortages could affect outreach programmes, transportation, supervision and campaigns designed to ensure children receive all their recommended vaccines.
The major concern is that children could lose protection against preventable diseases simply because health workers do not have enough resources to reach them.
As Ghana works towards becoming more financially independent in its healthcare system, the government faces the difficult task of filling the immediate funding gap while protecting the progress already made in child health.
For families across the country, especially those in remote communities, the outcome could determine whether children continue receiving life-saving vaccines on time.
