President John Dramani Mahama says he has arranged plans to lessen the crisis Ghana stands to suffer in the health sector following the recent shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump administration.
Trump’s dismantling of the foreign aid agency and termination of its humanitarian support for struggling countries across the globe will affect delivery of medical items to regional medical stores and health facilities for sick people in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Savannah regions of Ghana.
Mahama says he has directed the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Atto Forson, to “make immediate financial arrangements” to reduce the looming loss.
The president announced this during the delivery of his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday in Parliament since his swearing-in last month.
“Mr. Speaker, one of the most pressing issues confronting our health sector is USAID’s sudden 90-day pause in services without prior notice and the looming threat of complete withdrawal of programmes that do not align with the USA’s strategic interests. Programmes that this will affect include the delivery of medical commodities to regional medical stores and health facilities in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, and Savannah regions.
“USAID’s support for the National HIV/AIDS Control Programme, including the supply of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) in the Western, Western North, and Ahafo Regions is also affected. This withdrawal puts at risk approximately $78 million earmarked for malaria, maternal and child health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS programmes,” he said.
He added: “The impact will be devastating without urgent intervention. I have, therefore, directed the Minister for Finance to make immediate financial arrangements to mitigate this loss, and I expect that this will be reflected in his budget, which will be presented next month.”
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana
