By Tilda Acorlor
A Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, (UHAS) Prof. Fred Newton Binka, said government must establish a public health emergency preparedness fund to respond to epidemics during disease outbreaks.
He said it must be urgent due to the recent emergency and re-emerging of infectious diseases across the world.
He said this at a symposium organized by UHAS, SEND Ghana, and Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) at the UHAS Trafalgar campus on June 7, 2023, in Ho.
The symposium which brought together renowned experts and thought leaders in academia to provide valuable insights and innovative solutions for public health emergency funding and response was on the theme “Public Health Emergency Funding: The Role of Academia”
The former Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana’s presentation was on public health emergencies, a global challenge, and the implications for health systems and policies.
“Government must establish a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Fund. This must be done by specific legislation enacted by Parliament and would fund epidemic preparedness and response activities during and between disease outbreaks. This is urgent due to the recent emerging and re-emerging infectious disease.” Prof. Binka.
The Deputy Country Director for SEND Ghana, Dr. Emmanuel Ayifaade reiterated and made a clarion on the government of Ghana to establish a Public Health Emergency Fund (PHEF).
He said government should repurpose the COVID-19 health levy as the main source of funding for the PHEF.
“Join the campaign, to call on the government of Ghana as a matter of priority to establish the Public health emergency and repurposed the revenue from COVID-19 as the main source of funding for the PHEF now. With a strong political will, this can happen.” Dr. Emmanuel Ayifaade.
A senior lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST) Dr. John Amuasi whose presentation covered innovative funding strategies and partnerships, in the past present, and future said clinical research is needed when there’s a pandemic.
He was emphatic about government’s engagement with researchers and being research-ready with funding in times of outbreak.
In her keynote address, the Vice Chancellor of UHAS, Prof. Lydia Asiato was thankful to GHAI and SEND Ghana for the collaboration to organize the symposium in a sole health institution.
She said the provision of excellent service in the health sector requires the necessary funding.
“I am grateful to GHAI and Send Ghana, to lead the agenda.”
“You can only provide excellent service if you have the necessary funding.”
“It is important for UHAS to aggressively and actively engage in the area of financing because we have a whole school of Public Health it means that for anything that has to do with public health emergency funding, we must lead the agenda.” Prof. Lydia Asiato said.
The Country Director for GHAI, Mr. Stephen Atasigbe engaged the gathering on building advocacy capacity for domestic resource mobilization toward public health emergencies while a Legal consultant, Dr. Bedina Duut, gave an overview of legal analysis and proposals for amendment of the IHR and new pandemic treaty.
Prof. Evelyn Korkor Ansah, the Director of the Center for Malaria Research, IHR-UHAS, who chaired the symposium pointed out that the outbreak of COVID-19 has taught the whole world a lesson of preparedness ahead of a pandemic.
Over 50 people attended the symposium in-person while 200 participants joined online.