US aid cuts threaten Ghana’s child immunisation gains

What the report says

Ghana is confronting a major health financing gap after the suspension of USAID programmes, with Al Jazeera reporting an estimated $156m shortfall across affected sectors and about $78.2m of that tied to health. The article says the funding loss is putting pressure on routine child immunisation systems, even as the country has made progress with vaccines such as RTS,S for malaria and broader outreach in recent years.

According to the report, the risk is not only the cost of vaccines themselves but the support network that delivers them: health workers, cold-chain storage, transport fuel, delivery kits, tracing for missed doses and outreach to remote communities. A study cited by Al Jazeera found delays or irregular vaccine supplies in many districts in northern Ghana after donor withdrawal. Officials and health workers quoted in the piece said that without replacement funding, gains in areas such as immunisation, malaria prevention and maternal and child health could weaken.

The story also places the current challenge in a broader transition. Ghana is moving toward greater domestic financing for vaccines as it gradually phases out Gavi support, with full responsibility expected by 2030. The government has taken some steps, including lifting a cap on National Health Insurance Scheme funding and supporting local vaccine manufacturing, but these measures will take time. Regional health leaders and civil society groups interviewed by Al Jazeera called for domestic resource mobilisation and stronger partnerships so children in hard-to-reach areas are not left behind.