US aid suspension costs Ghana $78m, Mahama tells World Health Assembly

President John Dramani Mahama says Ghana lost about US$78 million in health support after cuts to some US aid programmes. This affected malaria, HIV/AIDS and maternal healthcare services. He said the reduction in support had put more pressure on parts of the country’s healthcare system, including malaria work, maternal and child healthcare, nutrition programmes, HIV testing and the supply of antiretroviral drugs.

President Mahama made these remarks while speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 18, 2026. He said the drop in donor support showed that African countries needed to strengthen their own healthcare spending and reduce reliance on foreign help. “The old system of donor dependency is past its sell-by date,” Mr Mahama told delegates at the assembly.

According to him, the withdrawal of support from some Western countries had disrupted healthcare funding across Africa and exposed weaknesses in national health systems. President Mahama said the World Health Organization had also cut back some programmes and reduced staff numbers after the withdrawal of US assistance. He added that the direct impact of aid suspensions across Africa could push about 5.7 million people into poverty by the end of 2026.

The President said the government had responded by increasing local investment in the health sector.

According to him, the removal of the cap on the National Health Insurance Fund released an extra GH¢3 billion for healthcare spending, while the 2026 Budget gave GH¢34 billion to the sector. President Mahama said the government was also using digital systems, including artificial intelligence tools, to catch fraudulent claims under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

He further stated that Ghana had started a free primary healthcare programme aimed at making basic healthcare services more available, especially in rural communities. The President said the National Health Insurance Scheme currently covers about 66 per cent of the population, leaving about one-third of Ghanaians outside the system.

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