THE Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured that urgent steps are being taken to clear family planning commodities that have remained stuck at the country’s ports since 2024.
Although he did not provide specific timelines, the minister said the Ministry of Health had initiated processes to resolve the issue after it emerged that some consignments had not been cleared as expected.
“This is the first time I am hearing of a container being held up at the port. I thought it had already been cleared. The good news is that action has been expedited and I can assure the country that we will do whatever it takes to get them out,” he said at the Government’s Accountability Series in Accra yesterday.
Mr Akandoh further urged organisations seeking to support the health sector to work closely with the ministry in order to avoid similar delays.
“Anybody who wants to bring in items should consult the ministry and consign them to us. Once that is done, we will ensure they are cleared,” he assured.
It would be recalled that about $500,000 worth of essential family planning commodities donated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have remained stuck at Ghana’s ports for two years.
The consignments form part of an initial $2.1 million donation.
While about 142 containers valued at $1.6 million were cleared following public backlash, the remaining stock has stayed at the ports despite a directive issued by President John Dramani Mahama a fortnight ago for their release.
Stakeholders, including civil society organisations, have warned that some of the commodities are nearing expiry, raising concerns about potential shortages of contraceptives across health facilities.
They noted that declining stock levels are already affecting service delivery, with some women and girls forced to pay out-of-pocket for long-term contraceptive methods.
Health advocates cautioned that the delay could reverse gains in sexual and reproductive health advocacy, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths.
They are therefore calling for the immediate clearance of the commodities, implementation of contingency measures to prevent stock-outs, and a review of import classification systems affecting health supplies.
Civil society groups have also urged the government to prioritise domestic financing for family planning in order to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted supply of commodities in the country.
Meanwhile, the UNFPA has threatened to reduce its support for Ghana’s family planning activities, potentially cutting its contribution from 75 per cent to 25 per cent over the current situation.
This comes at a time when many donor partners in the country’s health sector have either withdrawn support or are considering doing so.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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