President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana is on course to exit funding support from GAVI, the global vaccine alliance, by the year 2030.

Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Monday, May 18, President Mahama disclosed that Ghana’s progress in strengthening its healthcare systems and vaccine financing capacity has positioned the country to gradually transition from being a beneficiary of international vaccine support to potentially becoming a contributor in the future.

Addressing delegates at the assembly, President Mahama also highlighted the government’s efforts to improve access to specialised healthcare through the MahamaCares initiative, which seeks to make advanced and expensive medical treatment accessible to ordinary citizens.

“Mahamacares is ensuring that specialised high-cost care is not a privilege for just a few but a right for all. Ghana, I am also happy to report, is on track to exit GAVI funding for vaccines by the year 2030, and we hope to transition into a donor in the not-too-distant future.”

The announcement formed part of the President’s broader address on healthcare reforms, universal health coverage, and health sovereignty for African nations during the high-level global health gathering organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

GAVI, officially known as the Vaccine Alliance, is a global public-private partnership established to improve access to life-saving vaccines in low-income countries.

Over the years, the organisation has supported Ghana’s immunisation programmes by helping finance vaccines for diseases such as measles, polio, pneumococcal infections, rotavirus, yellow fever, and human papillomavirus (HPV), among others.

The alliance has played a critical role in reducing childhood mortality rates and improving vaccine coverage in Ghana through funding support, technical assistance, and partnerships with international health agencies.

Under GAVI’s transition framework, countries whose economies and gross national incomes improve beyond certain thresholds are gradually weaned off donor support and expected to independently finance their national immunisation programmes.