Ghana needs 759 million cedis for health supply chain
The government plans to use domestic resources to fund a four-year master plan amid withdrawal of foreign aid.
Ghana requires over 759 million cedis to address critical gaps in medicine and medical supplies for its health facilities over the next four years. The government is seeking domestic funding for the 2025-2029 health sector supply chain master plan as some foreign aid to the health sector is being withdrawn. This plan aims to ensure health facilities, especially those serving women and children, have essential commodities.
The new master plan is a revision of the 2021-2025 plan, which achieved 35% of its targets due to COVID-19. The revised plan includes 47 strategic interventions across two technical areas to ensure availability, timely access, and affordability of quality health commodities. Dr. Edward Bright Agyekum, Director for Procurement and Supply Chain at the Ministry of Health, stated that local resource mobilization is key, with strategies in place to achieve priorities despite potential donor withdrawal.
The master plan seeks to build an integrated distribution system for medical stores and develop a well-coordinated financial system for the public health sector by 2029. It also includes a mapping exercise to track money flow and expenditures. Daniel Oswald Owusu Afranie, Technical Director with the Global Health Supply Chain, emphasized the need for the country to own the implementation for universal health coverage by 2030.
Why it mattersGhanaian citizens will have improved access to essential medicines and medical supplies in health facilities.