President John Mahama has revealed that declining external support is putting pressure on healthcare delivery across Africa after the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ended several of its programs.
Speaking at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, he revealed that Ghana lost about $78 million in health financing following the withdrawal of USAID-backed interventions.
“Donors directed the affected funding into key public health areas, including maternal and child healthcare, malaria control, HIV and AIDS response, nutrition programs, and the supply of antiretroviral medicines. However, the reduction in support affects not only Ghana but also reflects a broader trend across the continent, where bilateral and multilateral health financiers have significantly cut funding since 2025.”
Further, President Mahama added that shrinking donor support is creating serious gaps in essential healthcare services, especially in low- and middle-income countries that still depend heavily on external assistance to sustain critical health interventions.
“The loss of such funding exposes the fragility of health systems that rely on external partners, stressing the need for stronger domestic investment and more resilient financing models to safeguard continuity in essential services.”
The situation reinforces the urgency for reforms in global health financing structures to protect critical health gains and build more resilient national systems.
