The Ministry of Health has inaugurated the Pandemic Fund National Chairing Committee, a landmark initiative to bolster Ghana’s defences against future health crises.
Dubbed “Strengthening Systems for Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Ghana,” the program represents a proactive approach to mitigating the impact of national medical emergencies.
Representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) outlined the fund’s objectives, emphasising collaboration, workforce resilience, and early threat detection.
Speaking to the panel on June 13, the FAO representative pressed the need for collective effort, stating, “Synergy, coordination, and collective action are key to achieving our shared goals.
”He pledged the organisation’s “unwavering support and commitment” to the initiative, revealing that the FAO’s allocated $4.28 million over three years will fund pandemic-related activities.
“So far, we have received the first tranche of funds for the next six months’ of operations,” he added.
The WHO representative took the stage and commended Ghana’s existing health workforce but stressed the need for deeper investments in the health workforce, laboratory systems and surveillance and early warning.
“Strengthening the health workforce means more than increasing numbers. It’s about building a trained, well-distributed, and motivated cadre of professionals.” he stated.
He called for “expansion of lab capacity, quality assurance, and real-time data integration” to enable swift responses.
He added that, “No preparedness effort is complete without strong surveillance systems,” which he described as “the eyes and ears of health systems.”
To him the committee is a “vital pillar of coordination, leadership, and accountability,” ensuring investments align with national priorities and include voices from “government, academia, civil society, and frontline workers.”
With Ghana recently completing its Joint External Evaluation (JEE), the WHO expressed optimism that the fund’s support would improve future scores.
“The next pandemic is not an ‘if’ but a ‘when,’” the WHO official noted, urging Ghana to leverage lessons from COVID-19 and other outbreaks.
The WHO, alongside the FAO, will serve as an implementing entity to help Ghana meet its health security goals.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, delivered his speech to wrap up the inauguration of the committee.
“Health emergencies do not wait; preparedness must be our default posture, not a reaction.” The Minister said. He stated that the COVID-19 pandemic “challenged Ghana’s health systems but also exposed them”, giving us a unique opportunity to rebuild a “smarter and stronger” system. The established pandemic fund is part of this reformed system.
Mr. Akandoh painted the fund as an “instrument for change” enabling us to invest in “early monitoring systems, health infrastructure, workforce readiness and community engagement.” The goal, he said, is to ensure “that our systems anticipate rather than chase outbreaks.”
He further acknowledged the partners of the program. He mentioned the WHO, FAO, World Bank, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, Ministry of Environment, the Ghana Health Service, UNICEF and the civil society, thanking them for their “technical support and collaboration in securing Ghana’s successful proposal under the fund.
” All the members of the committee are from these diverse bodies, bringing in their dynamic skills and expertise to support this initiative.”
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