Members of the Ghana Country Coordinating Mechanism (Ghana CCM) of the Global Fund have threatened to stage a street protest on June 25, 2024, to express their dissatisfaction over the government’s alleged failure to clear the remaining consignment of medical supplies donated by the Global Fund.
The group expressed concern that despite the presence of 120 containers of medication at the port, the government was not addressing the issue with the urgency it required.
Earlier in April, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) had raised similar concerns about the backlog of donated commodities from the Global Fund. These commodities included medications for Tuberculosis, Malaria, insecticide-treated nets, and rapid diagnostic test kits.
According to the Ghana CCM, only 14 out of the 182 containers have been cleared by the government, with an additional 48 containers released later. However, some containers are still awaiting clearance at the port, leading to shortages of essential medical supplies in health facilities across the country.
In an open letter to the president dated June 11, 2024, the acting Chair of Ghana CCM, Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, emphasized that the government’s delay in clearing the remaining medical provisions had raised concerns among members of the international community.
“Some are asking whether the government of Ghana no longer has control over its ports, because they [international agencies] do not understand how a sovereign State cannot clear commodities from its port,” he stated.
The acting Chair emphasized the urgent need for government intervention, noting that the delay could potentially strain relations between Ghana and the Global Fund.
“Global Fund is a very strategic partner of Ghana and we need to desist from inaction that may jeopardise our relations with the Fund. Since 2002, Ghana has never experienced this kind of challenge in receiving Global Fund commodities. So what has changed?”he asked.
Mr Ortsin said Ghana CCM was aware of the government’s financial challenges, but that should not be “an excuse for the current situation we find ourselves.
“We are not enthused about government’s handling of the matter. As a country, we should not have sunk so low to this level where we have now become the butt of international jokes and gossips,” he stated.
Ghana CCM, therefore, urged the government to support the Ministry of Health to “work out a lasting solution” to the difficulty in clearing the outstanding medical supplies from the port.
Mr. Ortsin stated that during the demonstration on June 25, 2024, the group would exercise its civic rights and present a petition to the government highlighting “a litany of issues” affecting Ghana’s relations with the Global Fund and other donors.