The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced plans to begin a nationwide rollout of the typhoid fever vaccine in the coming weeks, with food handlers as the primary target group.

The initiative aims to reduce the spread of typhoid fever, a disease that poses serious threats to public health, food safety, and productivity, particularly in communities with poor sanitation.

Speaking at a follow-up stakeholder engagement meeting on Thursday, 30th January, 2026, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, outlined the rollout plans and assured stakeholders of the vaccine’s safety credentials.

“I wish to assure all stakeholders that the vaccines that will be administered under this programme are WHO pre-qualified and approved by the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority, meeting the highest standards of safety, quality and efficacy,” he stated.

Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, clarified that while the vaccine will not be free, it will be subsidised to ensure affordability.

He emphasised that once the rollout begins, food handlers will be required to present proof of vaccination before being permitted to operate.

“In the past, you were getting people who were being screened and then treated. Now, we are providing a very cost-effective intervention, which is vaccination that protects you for three years,” Dr Asiedu Bekoe explained.

“When you do not have the vaccination, you are not going to get a health certificate to practise,” he added.

The move marks a shift from reactive screening and treatment to proactive prevention through vaccination in Ghana’s fight against typhoid fever.