The United States of America, acting through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has committed $127 million for the next twelve months as part of a continuing partnership with the Republic of Ghana to achieve shared objectives in democracy and governance, education, health and economic growth. USAID and the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP), agreed in 2003 to work together on four objectives deemed essential to Ghana’s development: increase employment opportunities and income levels for poor Ghanaians; improve delivery of health service at the community, district, and regional levels; increase the percentage of children completing basic education and improve the quality of instruction; and, strengthen the capacity of Ghana’s local governance institutions to plan for development, increase revenue, seek input and respond to citizen needs concerning the delivery of services. Of the $127 million in new funding, $47 million is committed to increase agricultural production, employment opportunities and income levels for poor Ghanaians, $4.6 million is to support Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan, $4.9 million is to strengthen Ghana’s local governance institutions, and $70.5 million is to improve the delivery of health services for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning and Reproductive Health, Water Supply and Sanitation, Nutrition and Higher Education. “USAID’s commitment of an additional $127 million in development support for Ghana is taken in close consultation with the Government of Ghana,” said Cheryl Anderson, Mission Director of USAID/Ghana. “It reflects the United States’ strong support for the policies and plans Ghana has put in place to improve health and education services for its citizens and our shared objective to generate prosperity and security for both the Ghanaian people and the American people.” The addition of newly committed $127 million brings USAID’s total contribution to Ghana’s development to $656.5 million since 2003.