More than $1.6 million worth of essential family planning commodities and other medical products donated by the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) have been stuck at the Tema port since February of this year.
A coalition of 55 civil society organizations is demanding urgent government intervention. The CSOs further noted that, Ghana recently launched the Ghana Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan (GFPCIP), reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring that by 2030, all persons of reproductive age have equitable and timely access to quality FP information, commodities, and services in line with global FP2030 goals.
However, delays in clearing essential FP commodities, leading to stockouts, cast doubt on this pledge, the African Union Agenda 2063, and the larger Sustainable Development Goals.
The FP commodities among other medical products, have not been cleared from the port since February 2024. According to the Coalition, the delay in clearance, caused by unpaid duties and subsequent demurrage fees, has led to critical shortages of key contraceptive supplies at the central and regional medical stores and health facilities across the country.
The stockout of these essential supplies has a significant impact on national efforts to improve the health outcomes of Ghanaians, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies and undermining efforts to improve maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes in Ghana.
The Coalition, using MSI’s impact calculator, states that these FP commodities, when used by women, are estimated to avert 2,514 child deaths, 255 maternal deaths, 62,728 unsafe abortions, and 199,182 unintended pregnancies and save the government of Ghana more than two hundred million Ghana cedis in direct healthcare costs.
The Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), a member of the 55 CSOs, Abena Adobea Amoah, says the delay in the clearance of the products has resulted in stock outs at health facilities, exacerbating gaps in reproductive health needs.
“These commodities were donated by WAHO and UNFPA to government and they are essential commodities that are needed by the girls and women of Ghana to prevent unintended pregnancies and the delay in the clearance is causing a lot of hardships.
At the end of September, which is the last count, the Central Medical Stores and the Regional Medical Stores only had two months of supply FP commodities and for some private facilities, there have been stock out and so what it means is that young women and girls who want to avert pregnancies may not be able to. So, we request government to do the needful” She explained.
The government’s inconsistent management of donated supplies not only undermines Ghana’s commitment to these national and global goals, but also risks damaging its international reputation and future partnerships.
Some months back, global fund commodities also donated for the management of HIV and AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis were equally left at the port to expire. It took several backlash from the general public as well as civil societies to get the goods cleared.
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