According to ghana news agency: From Academic Research to Policymaking,' aimed to explore sustainable financing options for primary healthcare and immunisation programmes.
The meeting occurred against the backdrop of Ghana's transition under Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance's accelerated transition plan, which requires the country to fully finance its immunisation programme by January 2030. Participants noted that this transition would necessitate approximately US$168 million annually, while only US$266 million of the required US$514 million had been secured under recent immunisation financing plans. Concerns were raised as declining donor support and delays in co-financing commitments could jeopardise the country's public health achievements.
Mrs. Cecilia Senoo, Executive Director and Founder of Hope for Future Generations, highlighted Ghana's accomplishments in child survival and disease prevention through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. However, she stressed that maintaining these achievements would require enhanced domestic financing. She mentioned that the country's Multi-Year Immunisation Plan (2020-2024) estimated a need for US$514 million, yet only US$266 million had been secured by the end of 2024. She noted that a revised National Immunisation Strategy (2025-2029) was underway, but funding gaps would likely widen without increased domestic financing.
Prof. Martin Ayanore, Dean of the Graduate School at UHAS, discussed the need for innovative financing mechanisms for primary healthcare service delivery. He emphasized that Ghana must adopt a holistic approach to ensure health revenues are efficiently allocated to priority areas. He advocated for strategic purchasing to ensure proper allocation of funds within the health sector and called for stronger governance, transparency, and accountability mechanisms to address inefficiencies and revenue leakages.
Prof. Justice Nonvignon, Technical Director at Management Sciences for Health and Professor at the University of Ghana, called for urgent measures to strengthen domestic financing for immunisation and primary healthcare. He reiterated the cost-effectiveness of immunisation as a public health intervention and stressed the importance of preparing for full vaccine financing responsibility by 2030. He proposed integrating immunisation financing into the government's Free Primary Healthcare programme and urged the government to increase domestic resource mobilisation.
Prof. Gilbert Abiiro, Vice Dean of the School of Public Health at the University for Development Studies, emphasized the need for innovative financing for universal health coverage, focusing on revenue mobilisation, risk pooling, and strategic purchasing. He proposed various innovative financing options, such as airline ticket levies, health bonds, and digital payment systems, and stressed the importance of both technical expertise and political commitment for successful health financing reforms.
The symposium concluded with a panel discussion where participants recommended increased domestic resource mobilisation, reduced dependence on donor support, and stronger collaboration between academia and policymakers to build a resilient and sustainable healthcare system.