Accra: Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) has highlighted the urgent need for Ghana to fulfill its delayed 2025 vaccine co-financing obligations to prevent potential stockouts and ensure the continuity of immunization services across the country. Any further delays, the organization warns, could disrupt routine immunization efforts, putting millions of children at risk of preventable diseases.
According to Ghana News Agency, the statement issued by HFFG underlines the importance of immunization as a critical public health measure. Immunization is recognized as one of the most effective and economical methods to achieve herd immunity and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, particularly during pandemics. The statement calls for increasing the health sector’s budget allocation progressively to at least 15 percent of the total national budget in line with the Abuja Declaration. This increase would guarantee adequate funding for Primary Health Care and essential immunization services.
The statement further emphasizes the need for the Government of Ghana to make annual advance payments to secure vaccine availability and prevent stockouts. This approach mirrors strategies in other countries, where a one-year advance procurement of vaccines is standard practice. Additionally, it advocates for a dedicated emergency preparedness fund to bolster surveillance, health system resilience, and rapid outbreak response, incorporating vaccination as a key component.
Preventive immunization is highlighted as a means to reduce long-term pressure on the healthcare system, providing both health and economic benefits. Between 2000 and 2003, vaccines prevented over 18.8 million future deaths and generated over 250 billion US dollars in economic benefits in lower-income countries. For these reasons, sustained and equitable immunization financing is deemed a national priority for any government committed to safeguarding the health and future of its citizens.
The statement commends the government’s commitment to expanding health financing, marked by an increase in the health budget from GHS 15.6 billion in 2024 to GHS 17.8 billion in 2025, alongside the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy. Nonetheless, it urges the government to act with urgency in prioritizing the timely payment of Ghana’s vaccine co-financing obligation to avoid stockouts and prevent disease outbreaks.
Delays in co-financing payments pose a threat to the immunization achievements made, with potential negative impacts on child welfare, public health security, and economic productivity. Stockouts could compromise Ghana’s progress in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases, erode public trust in the health system, and lead to outbreaks of several diseases.
Despite a nominal increase of 13.4 percent in the 2025 health budget, its real value has decreased by 23 percent when adjusted for inflation, reducing the purchasing power of health budget allocations. Furthermore, Ghana’s 2025 health budget allocation, at 6.32 percent of the national budget, falls short of the 15 percent benchmark set by the Abuja Declaration, signaling continued underinvestment in the sector.
With Gavi set to transition out by 2030, there is an urgent need to establish a sustainable and independent immunization financing system. HFFG remains committed to collaborating with the government and stakeholders to ensure equitable health financing and uninterrupted access to essential health services for all Ghanaians. The organization calls on policymakers to promptly address these critical gaps to protect the health and well-being of citizens.