Stakeholders implementing Ghana’s Pandemic Fund Project met in Accra for the first Annual Review Meeting to assess progress made over the past year, discuss implementation challenges, share lessons learned, and agree on priority actions for the year ahead.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other implementing partners working under the One Health approach to strengthen Ghana’s pandemic preparedness and response systems.
Participants reviewed implementation progress across the project’s three key technical areas—strengthening laboratory systems, enhancing disease surveillance and early warning systems, and building a skilled health workforce. Discussions highlighted achievements made over the past year, identified implementation bottlenecks, and explored practical solutions to improve coordination and accelerate the delivery of planned activities. Over the past year, some key achievements under the Pandemic Fund in Ghana included … development of training materials for emergency preparedness and response capacity in one health context, strengthening the laboratory systems to improve the accuracy of diagnostic services for better patient outcomes and equipping over 200 animal and human health officers with skills and tools for enhanced surveillance, early detection and public health management of pandemic emergencies.
The meeting also provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss cross-cutting issues critical to the project’s success, including multisectoral collaboration, civil society engagement, gender considerations, and progress towards strengthening Ghana’s health security capacities through internationally recognized assessment frameworks, including the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), State Party Self-Assessment Annual Reporting (SPAR), and the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) assessment.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Caroline Reindorf Amissah, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service noted that the review offered an important opportunity for partners to reflect on progress and strengthen implementation going forward.
“This review has given us the opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved over the past year, identify where improvements are needed, and collectively chart the way forward”, she said.
The meeting also included a discussion on the upcoming Pandemic Fund Annual Report, highlighting the importance of documenting tangible results of the activities implemented so far, lessons learned and how challenges were addressed. Participants agreed on priority actions to guide implementation during the second year, with a strong emphasis on improving coordination, strengthening accountability, and maximizing the impact of project investments.
Representing the World Health Organization, Dr. Sally-Ann Ohene commended the progress made by the implementing institutions and emphasized the importance of sustaining momentum.
“The progress made during the first year demonstrates what can be achieved when government institutions and partners work together under the One Health approach. As we move into the second year, our focus should be on accelerating implementation, strengthening coordination, and ensuring that these investments translate into stronger systems capable of preventing, detecting, and responding to public health threats”, she said.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from all partners to sustain collaboration and ensure the successful implementation of the Pandemic Fund Project as Ghana continues to strengthen its capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to future public health emergencies.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
