Ministry of Health to clear $45 Million in health commodities from Tema Port end of June

The Ministry of Health has announced that all outstanding 64 containers of commodities provided by the Global Fund, which had been locked up at Tema Port, will be cleared by the end of June 2024.

According to the Ministry, in a press statement dated June 13, 2024, it had received funds amounting to GH₵7,429,694.39 to clear the outstanding 64 containers at the port, which include one tuberculosis (TB) medication container and 63 containers of mosquito nets.

Health commodities worth $45 million, purchased with Global Fund allocations, had been stuck at the port since August 2023 due to the importers’ inability to pay import duties.

“In accordance with the above, the Ministry of Health, with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance, secured auction chits for the clearance of 219 containers, leaving an outstanding 64 containers without chits.

“However, the Ministry's inability to clear the commodities at the port was a result of third-party charges amounting to GHC 7,429,694.39. Further to the above, a request letter was sent to the Ministry of Finance to assist in securing auction chits for the outstanding 64 containers, which comprise one TB medication container and the remaining mosquito nets and to cover the outstanding third-party charges.

“The Ministry of Health has now received an amount of GHC 7,429,694.39 from the Ministry of Finance for the payment of demurrage and the clearance of all Global Fund outstanding containers at Tema Port. This amount is expected to complement the payment of third-party charges as outlined above,” the statement said.

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Concerns of CSOs

This announcement follows concerns raised by civil society organizations over the locked-up commodities at Tema Port.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) stated it was “deeply troubled by some critical issues bordering on Ghana’s access to health commodities from the Global Fund that can have serious consequences for the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.”

“This deadlock, therefore, imperils the health and well-being of numerous Ghanaians grappling with the debilitating conditions of HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria,” they stated.

A Coalition of CSO Network in HIV, TB, and Malaria explained that the locked-up drugs had created a shortage of these products in health facilities across the country, causing loss of lives and frustration among health workers.