The government has been entreated to urgently institute a dedicated funding mechanism for public health emergencies amidst recurrent disease outbreaks and dwindling donor support.
Discussants at a national dialogue on public health emergency financing in Accra yesterday, observed that while disease outbreaks were inevitable, a funding pool in place could aid effective response and management strategies.
In his remark, Stephen Atasige, the in-country Coordinator for the Prevent Epidemics project implemented by SENDGhana, a non-governmental organisation, said the recent withdrawal of the United States (US) aid to health interventions coupled with Ghana’s multiple disease burden could pose grave impact if proactive measures are not taken in establishing a fund.
“This is an opportunity for us to begin to get more proactive about mobilising domestic resources and this has to be intentional.
There has to be some policy in place to ensure that we are setting up that funding mechanism in the form of a fund that will cater for our public health emergency preparedness and response efforts so that we are able to withstand the shocks that come with these emergencies when they occur,” he explained.
As the government prepares to present its maiden budget next month, Mr Atasige urged them to allocate a clear budget for public health emergencies to not only help contain future occurrences but ensure Ghana was well equipped financially to respond any future outbreaks.
Furthermore, he proposed a repurposing of the COVID-19 levy as a primary source for mobilising domestic financial resources to set up a public health emergency fund for the country.
“We know as a country, we are not doing very well when it comes to allocating funds for health through our national budgets although we are signatory to the Abuja Declaration to allocate at least 15 per cent of our annual budgets for health.
This has not been happening over the period so we have to take the opportunity that the COVID-19 levy presents us to repurpose it as a funding source for a health emergency fund to ensure there is this a pool of money that is consistently flowing through our levies for such outbreaks,” he emphasised.
The Country Director for SENDGhana, Harriet Nuamah Agyemang, expressed hope that the government fast-tracks processes to establish the health security bill which makes provision for a public health emergency fund.
She shared successes of the “Epidemics project” over the last four years with key spotlight on some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) who have taken steps to set aside funds for public health emergencies at their levels.
Madam Agyemang commended the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, Birim South, Lambussie and Gushegu districts, who have advanced in setting up their district public health emergency funds, urging others to emulate same to better manage future crises.
Mr Rex Manu Yeboah, the Deputy Director, General Administration at the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, stated that it was more cost effective to prevent an epidemic than to respond to one once it escalates.
He encouraged local government authorities to find innovative ways to finance epidemic preparedness and response, while at the national level, same is also done.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
