By Ashiadey Dotse
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana is on track to exit Gavi funding for vaccines by 2030 as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s health sovereignty and reduce dependence on donor support.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, May 18, 2026, President Mahama said Ghana hopes to transition from being a beneficiary of vaccine support to eventually becoming a donor country in the future.
“I am also happy to report that Ghana is on track to exit Gavi funding for vaccines by 2030, and we hope to transition into a donor country in the not-too-distant future,” he stated.
The President said the move forms part of Ghana’s broader strategy to build a resilient healthcare system capable of financing and managing its own health priorities.
He noted that Ghana has already begun implementing major reforms in the health sector, including the expansion of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme aimed at removing financial barriers to basic healthcare services.
According to him, Ghana’s NHIS currently covers about 66% of the population, although about 34 percent still remain outside the scheme.
President Mahama also revealed that government has removed the cap on the National Health Insurance Fund, freeing an additional GH₵3 billion, equivalent to $300 million, for healthcare investment.
He added that government has introduced digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to detect fraudulent claims and improve efficiency within the NHIS.
The President further highlighted the establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as “Mahama Cares,” to support people suffering from non-communicable diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular conditions, liver disease, and renal failure.
President Mahama’s address focused heavily on the need for African countries to take control of their healthcare systems amid declining international donor support.
He disclosed that Ghana lost $78 million in health funding following the closure of some United States aid programs since 2025. The affected funding supported malaria control, maternal and child health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS programs.
He warned that cuts in humanitarian assistance across Africa were threatening millions of lives and pushing many vulnerable people deeper into poverty.
President Mahama said Africa could no longer depend heavily on donor support, stressing that the continent must build strong and self-sufficient health systems.
“A continent that manufactures less than one percent of its vaccines while carrying 25% of the global disease burden is not sovereign — it is vulnerable,” he stated.
The President also called for reforms in the global health system to ensure better coordination among international health institutions and more support for local healthcare development in Africa.
He said the Accra Initiative, launched after the African Health Sovereignty Conference held in Ghana last year, seeks to promote health independence, local manufacturing of medical products, and sustainable healthcare financing across the continent.
