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0 The Northern Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has updated the public on the impact of the suspension of the USAID announced by President Donald Trump on the three Northern Regions.
In a letter dated January 31, 2025, the Northern Regional Health Director, Dr. Abdulai Abukari said the suspension has impacted three key areas which will bring about a significant disruption to the health supply chain, particularly in the Norther, North East and Savannah Regions.
The areas impacted are; last mile distribution (LMD), procurement and supply chain management support and public health programme implementation.
Additionally, SkyNet Express, the logistics company responsible for transporting health commodities to service delivery points has been directed to freeze its services for 90 days.
According to the GHS, the halt in distribution services poses a severe risk of stockouts for essential medicines, vaccines, and other critical health commodities.
The development will also lead to the disruption in healthcare service delivery in the three northern regions.
“The withdrawal of technical assistance and logistics coordination provided through Chemonics will weaken inventory management, tracking, and reporting systems, making it more difficult to ensure continuous supply,” the GHS said.
The foreign aid suspension will also lead to several health programmes reliant on USAID-funded commodities including maternal and child health, malaria prevention and treatment, family planning, and HIV/AIDS services likely to experience shortages, service delivery and patient care outcomes will also be affected.
GHS after an emergency meeting with Regional Health Management Team, District Health Management Teams and Budget Management Centre agreed that in the interim SkyNet Express serve as a stop-gap measure to maintain scheduled distributions for the year 2025 while long-term solutions are explored.
Dr. Abukari emphasized the urgent need for interventions to bridge the supply chain gaps. He called for increased engagement with key stakeholders and development partners to explore contingency measures, including alternative funding sources and distribution mechanisms, to sustain critical health services.
“The suspension of USAID support poses a significant threat to healthcare delivery in the Northern Regions,” Dr. Abukari stated.
“We must act swiftly to ensure that essential medicines and supplies reach those who need them most, particularly vulnerable populations who depend on these services.”
The post GHS announces critical disruptions in Northern Regions amid suspension of USAID first appeared on 3News.
