Timely funding of immunisation is a challenge in Ghana - Survey

Hope For Future Generations (HFFG), a non-profit making organisation based in Ghana with a focus on health, education, disability and women's empowerment have recently surveyed funding for immunisation in the country.

According to Rita Lodonu, Project Officer of HFFG, they've seen the need for government to increase funds for immunisation and thus three years ago embarked on advocacy "to increase funding for immunisation activities" she said and was done between January 20, 2019, and October 2021.

Findings of the survey conducted in Ho, Asuogyaman, Shai Osudoku, Kassena Nankana and Tatale Sanguli districts and municipalities noted that the various assemblies in the country struggle to get "timely" funding for immunisation activities.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, January 18, 2023, in Ho on a sideline of dissemination workshop on the survey, Rita Lodonu said, responses from the various assemblies after the advocacy indicates that "not much has been done".

She said "The funds are not being released timely, and then the budget allocation is also an issue" she added, "These issues are not only at the local level, the district assemblies but even from the national level tripling down to the districts".

On the way forward, HFFG is calling on the government to "Make sure that, funds that are budgeted and allocated for immunisation are released timely", the Ministry of Finance is also urged to give a "direct" budget on immunisation and also the district assemblies should prioritise transparency in the funds' management.

Rita said, adequate and timely funding of immunisation is critical because " When children missed out on being immunized, it has public health concerns, consequences and if we want a population that a population that is strong and healthy, then I think we must take our immunisation programmes seriously as a country".

Ghana is identified as one of the countries doing well in immunisation activities in the sub-Sahara region.