The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Northern Region has confirmed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has suspended its support for the Global Procurement Supply Chain through Chemonics.

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This decision directly affects the Last Mile Distribution (LMD) of health commodities, which ensures the delivery of essential medicines and supplies to healthcare facilities.

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Dr. Abdulai Bukari, the Northern Regional Director of the GHS, described the situation as a major setback for healthcare delivery in the Northern, North East, and Savannah regions. "This development means that SkyNet Express, the logistics company responsible for transporting health commodities, has been directed to freeze its services for 90 days," he stated.

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The suspension follows an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump, triggering a global freeze on U.S. foreign aid. This decision has disrupted the supply chain of essential health products, creating an urgent need for alternative solutions.

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Among the immediate concerns are:

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Stockouts of Essential Medicines and Vaccines: The halt in LMD services poses a risk of severe shortages in medicines, vaccines, and critical health supplies, potentially crippling healthcare facilities.

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Weakened Procurement and Supply Chain Management: The loss of technical support from Chemonics affects inventory tracking, reporting, and overall supply chain efficiency.

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Disruptions to Public Health Programs: Key USAID-funded health initiatives, including maternal and child healthcare, malaria prevention, family planning, and HIV/AIDS treatment, are at risk of service interruptions.

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In response, the Regional Health Management Team (RHMT) held an emergency meeting with District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) and Budget Management Centre (BMC) heads to assess the impact and explore solutions. After deliberations, they considered a temporary measure to sustain deliveries. "While we seek long-term solutions, SkyNet Express, which was engaged by USAID for LMD, could serve as a stop-gap measure to maintain scheduled distributions in 2025," a statement from the meeting revealed.

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Health officials are calling for urgent intervention to prevent a full-blown crisis. "We urgently seek guidance on possible interventions to bridge supply chain gaps and ensure uninterrupted access to essential health commodities," Dr. Bukari emphasized. He further appealed for engagement with development partners and key stakeholders to explore alternative funding and distribution mechanisms to sustain critical health services.

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Authorities are now looking to the government and donor agencies for immediate action to mitigate the crisis and prevent disruptions to healthcare in northern Ghana.

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