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A Parliamentary Immunisation Caucus is to be set up to offer backing for immunisation programmes in the country.
The caucus, which will be launched when the Legislature resumes from recess, aims to source domestic funding for immunising children against childhood killer diseases in the country.
The formation of the caucus has become necessary as international funding for immunisation programmes is set to cease from 2028.
The caucus, to be made up of representatives from other committees of Parliament, will have the Member of Parliament for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI) in the Upper West Region, Dr Sebastian Ngmenenso Sandaare as the chairperson.
Ghana’s immunisation drive is being sponsored by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, with the Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), which has been advocating immunisation financing since 2023, with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).
Recently, civil society organisations in the immunisation advocacy space and Members of Parliament from the nine countries in Africa and Laos that are implementing the immunisation financing advocacy project, held a meeting in Istanbul to discuss ways to improve funding for the immunisation programmes beyond sponsorship.
The theme for the meeting was “Mobilising Domestic Resources for Sustainable Immunisation Financing Through Engaging Parliamentarians in Africa.”
The Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Dr S.N. Sandaare, who was part of Ghana’s delegation at the Istanbul meeting, said the caucus had become necessary because Ghana could no longer rely on donor funding only for such critical healthcare delivery as immunisation.
He said it was about time the country reached a point where it found a reliable source of financing for immunisation.
Dr Sandaare, stated that it offered a valuable opportunity for peer exchange on the roles of parliamentarians in promoting sustainable immunisation and financing for children against childhood killer diseases such as measles and polio.
"The meeting afforded the MPs from various African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya the opportunity to learn and share best practices to encourage the MPs to advocate immunisation and primary health care.
The objectives of the caucus, Dr Sandaare explained, would be to push for an increase in domestic budget allocations for immunisation and public health campaigns and to enhance parliamentary oversight on immunisation financing and delivery.
It also aims to strengthen collaboration among Parliament, civil society and health authorities, support the fulfilment of GAVI co-financing obligations by the government and contribute to reaching zero-dose children and improving vaccination equity.
The Vice Chairperson of the caucus, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, who was also present in Istanbul, stated that the need for the parliamentary caucus had become essential so that the country does not fall behind in its immunisation efforts.
He said there was a need to find a dedicated source of financing for immunisation in the country, as it would become a strain on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) if nothing was done about domestic financing.
A Programme Manager at HFFG, Gladys Damalin, who was present at the media engagement, stated that the key objectives of the CSOs' advocacy include increasing domestic resource mobilisation at national and subnational levels, dedicated to public health campaigns and immunisation service delivery.
She also emphasised advocating the timely payment of the government’s co-financing obligations.
