By Hannah Dadzie and Mabel Awagah
Ghana risks vaccine shortages if urgent steps are not taken to meet a $16.3 million co-financing bill for 2025. With a recent resurgence of health crises, particularly Mpox, the government has been urged to ensure the timely payment of its immunization co-financing obligations to sustain and strengthen immunization programmes across the country.
At a media sensitization workshop in Accra, Executive Director of Hope For Future Generations (HFFG), Cecilia Lodonu-Senoo, said Ghana can no longer rely solely on donor funding as global health financing dynamics shift. She called on the government to meet the country’s co-financing obligations to secure the future of children.
The sensitization workshop, organized by Hope For Future Generations (HFFG) under its “Financing Immunization Advocacy Response (FAIR) Project,” emphasized the critical role of the media in championing effective immunization financing in Ghana. The workshop aimed to build the capacity of journalists to report on vaccine financing and advocate for accountability and transparency in vaccine delivery, ensuring that no child is left behind.
Ghana’s total vaccine cost for 2025 is projected at $47.2 million. While the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) is expected to contribute $25.2 million, the government is required to co-finance with $16.3 million. However, concerns were raised that the government is yet to meet its co-financing obligation for this year, a delay that could result in vaccine stockouts and threaten the lives of children. Executive Director of HFFG, Cecilia Lodonu-Senoo, stressed the urgent need for local resource mobilization.
“Vaccine sovereignty is very important; our children are key. Resources are no longer there. Everybody and all partners are calling for domestic resources, country ownership, and country-led initiatives. We cannot wait for our children to die from preventable diseases,” she stated.
She called for strong media advocacy to drive political will and transparency in the use of domestic funds for immunization.
Country Coordinator of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Stephen Atasige, warned that delays in payment could have serious consequences.
“The effects would be dire. Obviously, we’re going to have shortages of vaccines, and consequently, we’re going to have infectious diseases, especially among vulnerable children,” he warned.
Mr. Atasige acknowledged the government’s willingness to make payments but highlighted that current delays are problematic. He indicated that, unlike other health expenditures, vaccines are commodities that require urgent and timely acquisition. He recommended that Ghana consider making advance yearly payments for vaccines, similar to practices in other countries, to avoid procurement bottlenecks and potential stockouts.
“Vaccines are urgent life-savers and cannot be subjected to delays. Instead of waiting till then, we should pay. In fact, we are expected to pay for our vaccines within the first quarter because you need time for procurement procedures to complete,” he explained.
Regarding accountability, Mr. Atasige pointed out that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance have systems in place, and UNICEF plays a role in vaccine delivery. However, he stressed the crucial role of the media in ensuring accountability by tracking vaccine availability.
“When the government says it has paid for vaccines, the best form of accountability is that the vaccines are available and accessible at service delivery points,” Mr. Atasige noted.
Executive Director of Socioserve Ghana, Josephine Sackey, called on the government to explore sustainable funding mechanisms beyond foreign aid, suggesting avenues such as trust funds and dedicated taxes to bolster immunization and primary healthcare.
The workshop further emphasized the need for strong political commitment to immunization, urging that it be a non-partisan priority across all government ministries. Multi-year budget allocations were suggested to protect immunization programs from budget cuts, ensuring vaccines are recognized as essential expenditure. However, journalists were challenged to actively track vaccine availability as a vital form of public oversight.
Group Managing News Editor of EIB Network, Joojo Cobbinah, encouraged journalists to humanize immunization stories, leading with compelling personal narratives backed by facts to better engage the public.
“Stories should be about people. That is when people and society will remember the stories,” he said.
Hope For Future Generations (HFFG), a non-governmental organization focused on improving the well-being of women, children, and youth, is leading the FAIR Project, a five-year initiative advocating for greater domestic resource mobilization and increased accountability in reaching zero-dose children and expanding immunization coverage.
The workshop served as a powerful reminder of the media’s influential role in advocating for robust immunization financing and holding stakeholders accountable, ultimately safeguarding the health and development of Ghana’s future generations.
