Accra: Dr. Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, has praised Ghana's health sector for its dedication and efficiency in immunisation, recognizing the country as a leader in vaccine coverage across Africa. She emphasized Ghana's strong leadership in immunisation over the past two decades and highlighted the importance of sustaining these achievements as Gavi plans to phase out its support by 2030. Dr. Nishtar made these comments following her visit to health facilities in the Gomoa East District.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Nishtar remarked that Ghana is at the forefront of immunisation efforts, attributing its success to its own initiatives. She expressed Gavi's pride in being a partner in this process. Dr. Nishtar acknowledged the long-standing collaboration with Ghana and encouraged the country to continue leading by example, not only by maintaining high immunisation performance but also by sustaining domestic financing efforts and promoting local and regional manufacturing.
Gavi, a global health alliance, has been working to expand access to immunisation in low-income countries since 2000, helping protect children from preventable diseases. Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health, stated that the government is taking measures to prevent vaccine stockouts and ensure that every child is vaccinated. The government is serious about co-financing commitments, streamlining internal processes, and removing the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) cap, which has already shown positive results.
Mr. Akandoh mentioned authorising a US$5 million interim transfer to UNICEF to ensure the availability of critical vaccines while awaiting the final approval of the NHIL allocation formula. He added that as Ghana prepares to transition from Gavi support by 2030, the focus remains on sustainability. An Interagency Coordinating Committee is developing an Investment Case for Immunisation to secure long-term funding and enhance system performance, essential steps toward full ownership.
The minister commended Gavi for its support over the past two decades, which has 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), highlighted that vaccinations have strengthened health systems and contributed to reducing under-five mortality. He noted that confirmed malaria cases among children under five have decreased due to the introduction of malaria vaccines, alongside a decline in hospital admissions and deaths from malaria in this age group.
Dr. Amponsah-Achiano also pointed out challenges such as inequities in vaccination coverage in urban and peri-urban districts and frequent breakdowns of cold chain equipment at the district level. To address these issues, EPI plans to 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 the remaining five regions.