Health-sector stakeholders have called on the government to step up efforts to fully finance immunisation interventions ahead of Ghana’s planned exit from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) in 2030.
They warned that waiting until the transition deadline to assume full responsibility for vaccines and immunisation programmes could undermine gains made in child health, particularly at a time when government resources are under increasing pressure.
The stakeholders, drawn from academia, government, civil society and development partners, made the call in a position statement issued at the end of a multi-stakeholder academic symposium on sustainable financing for primary healthcare (PHC) in Ghana.
The symposium, organised by the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), in partnership with Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), sought to generate practical recommendations to ensure sustainable financing for PHC and immunisation.
Ghana is currently in the “Accelerated Transition Phase” of its exit from GAVI support and is expected to complete the transition by January 2030.
With less than four years to the deadline, the stakeholders expressed concern about the country’s preparedness to fully finance vaccines and immunisation interventions, citing gaps in the current transition plans.
At a news conference in Accra last Friday, the Country Coordinator of the GHAI, Stephen Atasige, said the government needed to accelerate domestic resource mobilisation and prioritise health spending to sustain the gains made in immunisation.
He noted that Ghana’s health budget averaged between six and 11 per cent of the national budget, below the 15 per cent target under the Abuja Declaration.
“Currently, there is no clear budget for vaccine procurement, and it is difficult for Parliament to track how much is going into vaccines and immunisation operations to sustain the gains made,” he said.
Mr Atasige called on the government to “explicitly and visibly embed immunisation financing within the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) framework” and establish clear budget lines for vaccine and commodity procurement without further delay, rather than waiting until the 2030 GAVI transition deadline.
He also proposed that a portion of excise tax revenue from tobacco and alcohol, as well as royalties from the mining and petroleum sectors, be earmarked for primary healthcare and immunisation.
He further called for a uniformed salary-based National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) premium contribution for formal-sector workers and urged the government to explore alternative financing mechanisms, including an airline-ticket solidarity levy, health bonds and vaccine bonds.
On domestic vaccine production, Mr Atasige urged the government to accelerate local manufacturing and regional procurement through the National Vaccine Institute to reduce dependence on external financing and strengthen the country’s preparedness.
The Executive Director of HFFG, Cecilia Senoo, described immunisation and vaccine procurement as essential components of preventive and promotive healthcare.
She urged the government to pay critical attention to sustaining vaccine and immunisation interventions as it pursued the FPHC policy.
“We can’t attain SDG 3 without sustaining primary healthcare. We must own our own health and walk the talk to protect future generations,” she said.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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