Ghana has launched the Parliamentary Immunisation Caucus to strengthen sustainable financing and political oversight for vaccines.

The 11-member caucus forms a major step toward securing the future of Ghana’s immunisation programme by moving beyond passive approval to active advocacy. 

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, in a speech read on his behalf at a forum to launch the Caucus, said the initiative was timely, as Ghana was at a critical stage in its immunisation financing journey.  

He said immunisation was not merely a health intervention but a strategic national investment essential to Ghana’s development and long-term prosperity. 

Mr Akandoh commended Members of Parliament for establishing the Caucus, saying it demonstrates accountable and forward-looking leadership in protecting the health and well-being of children, families and communities.  

He said vaccines remain among the most cost-effective public health interventions available, making their sustained availability a top national priority.  

As such, Parliament’s constitutional mandate to approve budgets and exercise oversight over public expenditure places it at the centre of efforts to safeguard immunisation financing. 

The Minister, while assuring the government’s commitment, disclosed that immunisation financing had been significantly strengthened in recent years. 

"In 2025, the national vaccine allocation increased by 46 per cent to about US$171 million, enabling Ghana to fully meet its vaccine financing obligations for the year", he said. 

Mr Akandoh said that securing sustainable financing would thus help protect the gains made under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, reduce reliance on external funding over time, and further strengthen primary health care delivery.  

These efforts, he noted, would result in healthier children, stronger communities, and a more resilient health system. 

The Minister outlined key commitments by the Ministry of Health, including ensuring the timely submission and payment of government co-financing obligations, protecting and strengthening immunisation budget lines, and working closely with the Ministry of Finance, Parliament and development partners to expand domestic resource mobilisation and explore innovative financing mechanisms for vaccines. 

He also assured of providing transparent and timely reporting on vaccine financing to enhance accountability and public trust, facilitating private sector participation in domestic resource mobilisation, and working with the Vaccine Institute to advance vaccine research and development. 

The launch, organised by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) and partners, was on the theme "Strengthening Stakeholder Collaboration for Sustainable Immunisation Financing in Ghana.”  

Executive Director of HFFG, Cecilia Senoo, said the forum was timely, as Ghana’s transition to middle-income status was reducing external support for immunisation while government co-financing obligations, particularly under Gavi arrangements, continued to rise. 

She said while Ghana had made significant gains in child survival and disease prevention through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, sustaining these gains would require stronger domestic financing and accountability. 

Discussions drew lessons from Ghana’s participation in the 2025 Istanbul Forum on Catalysing Parliamentary Leadership for Immunisation Financing, which resulted in the Istanbul Parliamentary Call to Action, she stated. 

Mrs Senoo noted that evidence from that global platform showed that countries with active parliamentary immunisation caucuses were better positioned to protect health budgets, monitor co-financing obligations, and hold governments accountable for immunisation outcomes. 

She called on stakeholders and development partners to support the government in achieving this to secure the future. 

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Immunisation Caucus, Dr Sebastian Sandaare, on behalf of the members, pledged to champion sustainable financing, strengthen oversight and accountability, promote multi-stakeholder collaboration, advance legislative and policy support, and ensure equity and impact. 

He assured that the Caucus would enhance advocacy to ensure that every Ghanaian child had access to life-saving vaccines and that the health system would become resilient, equitable and sustainable. 

The forum is being held as part of the Financing Immunisation Advocacy Response (FAIR) Project, implemented by Health Focus Foundation Ghana (HFFG) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator.