Dr. Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, has lauded Ghana’s health sector for its commitment and efficiency in immunisation, describing the country as a leader in vaccine coverage across Africa.
She said Ghana had demonstrated strong leadership in immunisation over the past two decades and stressed the need to sustain the gains as Gavi phases out its support by 2030.
Dr. Nishtar made the remarks after visiting health facilities in the Gomoa East District.
She said that Ghana was at the forefront of immunisations, and its achievements were a direct result of its own efforts, adding that Gavi felt proud and honoured to be a partner in the process.
“We have deep appreciation for our long-standing collaboration with Ghana to celebrate and we are proud to be part of this journey.
“Ghana can of course lead by example, not only by maintaining high immunization performance, but also by sustaining domestic financing efforts and promoting inspiring their work in local and regional manufacturing,” she said
Gavi, a global health alliance, works to expand access to immunisation in low-income countries, helping protect children from preventable diseases since its inception in 2000.
Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, said government was taking steps to prevent vaccine stockouts and ensure that every child was captured and immunised.
He said government had taken co-financing commitments seriously, streamlining internal processes and removing the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) cap, which was already yielding results.
“I have authorised a US$5 million interim transfer to UNICEF to ensure critical vaccines are available while we await the final approval of the NHIL allocation formula and broader effort to maintain a responsive and reliable supply chain,” he stated.
“As Ghana prepares to transition from Gavi support by 2030, we are focused on sustainability. Our Interagency Coordinating Committee is developing an Investment Case for Immunization to secure long-term funding and enhance system performance, a key part of our roadmap to full ownership,” he added.
The minister commended Gavi for its continued support over the past two decades, which had enabled Ghana to introduce new vaccines, build resilient health systems, and reach children in hard-to-reach areas.
Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Achiano, Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), said vaccinations had strengthened health systems and contributed to reducing under-five mortality.
He said confirmed malaria cases among children under five had reduced due to the introduction of malaria vaccines.
Hospital admissions and deaths from malaria in this age group had also declined.
Dr. Amponsah-Achiano noted challenges, including inequities in vaccination coverage in urban and peri-urban districts and frequent breakdowns of cold chain equipment at the district level.
To address these, he said EPI would focus on Ministry of Health-led collaboration to implement Ghana’s immunisation self-financing roadmap (2025–2029), introduce the HPV vaccine into routine vaccination in 2025, add a Hepatitis B birth dose to the schedule, and scale up malaria vaccine use in five remaining regions.
Source: GNA
