Stakeholders at a Citizens’ Budget Input Forum have called on the government to prioritise sustainable financing for immunisation programmes to safeguard public health and drive economic growth.
They stressed the need for the government to increase domestic resource mobilisation and ensure timely disbursement of funds to meet the country’s rising immunisation needs.
The stakeholders also urged the Ministry of Health to institutionalise a dedicated immunisation budget line in the national budget, with provisions for real-time tracking and monitoring to ensure transparency and efficiency.
The forum organised by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), a non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
It was held on the HFFG’s ‘Financing Immunisation Advocacy Response (Fair) Project’.
It forms part of ongoing efforts by HFFG and its partners to promote collaborative dialogue between civil society, the government, and other stakeholders towards building a resilient and self-reliant national health financing system.
It brought together key stakeholders, including queen mothers, religious leaders, and representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service.
Speakers at the forum included the Executive Director of the HFFG , Cecilia Senoo; project Coordinator,HFFG, Sabina Morgan; Country Coordinator, GHAI, Steven Atasige and others.
Voice
Mrs Senoo emphasised the crucial role of individuals to act as the “voice of the voiceless” in ensuring equitable access to healthcare, particularly in the area of immunisation.
She stressed the need for all stakeholders within the healthcare system to come together and work collaboratively to sustain vaccine financing in Ghana.
She said collaboration among government agencies, development partners, and civil society was critical to maintaining effective immunisation programmes,adding that “The house must come together and work together to sustain vaccine financing”.
In addition, the Executive Director, stressed the need to protect the future of children, adding that timely and consistent vaccination was essential for building a healthy and productive generation.
Ms Morgan on the other hand raised concerns about the inconsistency and delays in disbursing immunisation funds, stressing that such gaps threaten vaccine availability and the country’s ability to respond swiftly during health emergencies
“Timely and consistent financing for vaccines is not just a health imperative—it is a strategic investment that protects productivity and sustains economic growth,” she said.
She said there was a need to develop a local vaccine production capacity to reduce dependence on external donors and ensure long-term sustainability of immunisation programmes.
She commended the establishment of a caucus in Parliament to institutionalise immunisation financing and strengthen accountability in fund utilisation.
Opportunities
The Country Coordinator, GHAI, Steven Atassige, also called for stronger citizen engagement and sustainable financing strategies to secure the country immunisation programmes in the 2026 national budget.
He said the forum was an opportunity for communities to have their priorities heard and reflected in the national budget.
“Our role is to help facilitate these discussions so the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance can incorporate these inputs into the 2026 budget,” he added.
Mr Atasige commended the government for making significant strides to meet its vaccine financing obligations this year.
He said that country had already paid $24.6 million in co-financing for traditional vaccines before the end of the third quarter — a marked improvement from previous years when payments were often delayed.
“This is very encouraging. However, to sustain this progress, immunisation funding must be consistently prioritised in future budgets to prevent payment delays and avoid vaccine stockouts,” she added.
He stressed the importance of budget advocacy in ensuring consistent funding for public health interventions, particularly immunisation.
Commitment
Speaking on behalf of the Head of Planning and Budget, MoH, a Principal Planner at the ministry , Kwaku Saffu-Mensah, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to sustaining the country’s immunisation programmes despite increasing budgetary pressures and the recent withdrawal of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
To address the shortfall caused by USAID’s pullout, he said the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, were exploring innovative measures, including public-private partnerships, to close the funding gap.
He added that the ministry had also set up a Resource Mobilisation Unit and an Intersectoral Collaboration Unit to enhance efficiency and ensure that available resources were used for optimal impact.
Highlighting the importance of equitable vaccine distribution, Mr. Mensah said the government was focused on prioritising high-burden areas to reduce wastage and maximise impact.
Mr Mensah said the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute, passed by an Act of Parliament was a major milestone in the push for local vaccine production and research.
He said citizen involvement was crucial at every stage, saying, “Citizen participation builds legitimacy, trust, and accountability.
It ensures that policies and funding decisions reflect the real needs of the people.”
Mr Mensah said from pre-budget consultations to health sector hearings and even the parliamentary approval stage, there were multiple avenues for citizens, CSOs, and community leaders to contribute input and hold policymakers accountable.
