US aid cuts threaten Ghana’s child immunisation gains

Accra, Ghana – Ghana was among the first countries in Africa to introduce the RTS,S malaria vaccine into its routine immunisation programme. In Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the vaccine was associated with a 13 percent reduction in mortality among children eligible for vaccination, with roughly one in eight deaths averted.

But keeping those gains will require more than the vaccine itself. Health workers still have to reach children, trace those who miss doses and get vaccines safely to communities.

The suspension of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programmes left Ghana facing an estimated $156m funding gap across affected programmes, including a projected $78.2m shortfall in health. The health funding supported programmes including malaria prevention, maternal and child health, nutrition, family planning and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services.

The disruption has also raised concerns about the systems that keep routine immunisation running.

A study examining donor withdrawal in northern Ghana found that 75 percent of the districts surveyed reported vaccine delays or irregular supplies. The study also found constraints affecting cold-chain equipment, delivery kits and transport fuel.

Nana Owusu Ensaw, municipal director of health for Akuapim North, said Ghana should use the funding shock to rethink how it pays for healthcare.

“The $78m health funding gap after USAID programme closures is significant, but it is also a chance to rethink healthcare financing in Ghana. The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, or MahamaCares, is already expanding access to specialised care,” Ensaw said.

“The private sector must also step up. With the right partnerships, Ghana can become a medical tourism hub by investing in diagnostics, telemedicine and specialist care. Banks and financial institutions have a critical role to play. They must support these health tourism initiatives with tailored financing packages to attract more players into the sector. We have the talent and the will. Now we need the investment to match.”