The Senior Country Manager for Ghana at Gavi, Mr. Martin Morand, has paid a courtesy call on the Ghana Health Service as part of his first official mission to the country, marking the start of high-level engagements on the future of Ghana’s immunisation financing and long-term sustainability.

The visit formed part of a broader country mission aimed at strengthening coordination and shared understanding around immunisation financing over the next four years, supporting Ghana’s transition roadmap, and ensuring alignment between national priorities and available support under the Gavi 6.0 strategic framework.

During the meeting, the Gavi delegation engaged the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, together with selected directors of the Service to discuss the financial and operational implications of Ghana’s transition from Gavi support, the sustainability of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), and the need for early and deliberate planning in the face of declining external financing.

Mr. Morand strongly emphasized the need to finalize Ghana’s National Immunization Strategy, describing it as a vital and comprehensive document that clearly outline the full cost of running the EPI programme.

He explained that a robust and clearly costed strategy would strengthen advocacy efforts and help reduce the risk of Ghana losing essential support during the transition period.

He further called for closer collaboration with partners such as UNICEF and other relevant sectors to ensure a smooth, coordinated, and well-managed transition. In addition, he recommended exploring switches from certain vaccine products to more affordable alternatives as part of efforts to enhance financial sustainability.

In his remarks, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea reaffirmed government’s commitment to immunization financing and to the continued protection of Ghana’s population against vaccine-preventable diseases.

He welcomed Gavi’s willingness to share lessons and experiences from countries that have successfully transitioned, noting that such insights would be invaluable in preparing Ghana adequately for the transition.

Dr. Akoriyea reiterated concerns around ownership and the long-term sustainability of the Expanded Programme on Immunization and urged all stakeholders to assume collective responsibility to ensure the programme remains resilient and fully domestically supported in the years ahead.