Prez. Mahama reveals Ghana lost $78 million in health funding following US aid suspension
President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that Ghana’s healthcare sector has taken a significant financial hit following the suspension of United States aid to several African countries, with the country losing approximately $78 million in health funding as a result.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday, May 18, President Mahama said the withdrawal had dealt a serious blow to critical health programmes that millions of Ghanaians depend on.
“Ghana lost $78 million in health funding following the closure of US aid programmes,” he told the Assembly, noting that the support had previously financed malaria control, maternal and child health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS interventions, including the testing and delivery of antiretroviral drugs.
The President placed Ghana’s experience within a broader global context, warning that the world health architecture is undergoing rapid and troubling change.
He revealed that overall humanitarian assistance has declined by approximately 40 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic, with major Western economies significantly scaling back their overseas development aid.
He also raised concern over the impact of US withdrawal on the World Health Organization itself, noting that the global health body had been forced to cut programmes and reduce staff as a consequence of the funding shortfall.
Mahama used the platform to call on African nations to prioritise the strengthening of domestic healthcare systems and reduce their dependence on external funding to ensure the sustainability and resilience of public health delivery on the continent.
The 79th World Health Assembly has convened world leaders, policymakers, and health experts in Geneva to deliberate on global health challenges and chart a course toward more sustainable healthcare financing.
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