Family planning gains in danger: $1.6m goods locked up at Tema Port  …as central, regional stores, health facilities face shortages nationwide

 Family planning (FP) commodities worth over $1.6 mil­lion remain stuck at the Tema Port since February this year.

The goods among other medical supplies, donated by the UNFPA and West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) have not been cleared from the port due to unpaid duties and demurrage fees, allegedly leading to shortages of key con­traceptive supplies at the central and re­gional med­ical stores and health facil­ities across the country.

A statement signed and issued by a coalition of 55 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in reproductive health in Ghana yesterday, has thus called on gov­ernment to immediately clear the essential commodities to sustain family planning gains in the country.

According to it, a continued delay in clearing the commodities could significantly increase the rate of unintended pregnancies, leading to unsafe abortions and maternal mortality.

“The stock out of these essential supplies has a significant impact on national efforts to improve the health outcomes of Gha­naians, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies and undermining efforts to im­prove maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes in Ghana,” the statement said.

The Coalition noted that using Ma­rie Stopes International (MSI)’s impact calculator, FP commodities, when used by women, could avert an estimated 2,514 child deaths, 255 maternal deaths, 62,728 unsafe abortions, and 199,182 unintended pregnancies while saving the government of Ghana more than 200 million cedis in direct healthcare costs.

They said in view of the recently launched Ghana Family Planning Costed Implemen­tation Plan (GFPCIP), which reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that by 2030, all persons of reproductive age have equitable and timely access to quality FP information, commodities, and services in line with global FP2030 goals, the present situation at a doubt on that pledge.

“Delays in clearing essential FP commodi­ties, leading to stock outs, cast doubt on this pledge, the African Union Agenda 2063, and the larger Sustainable Development Goals.

The government’s inconsistent man­agement of donated supplies not only undermines Ghana’s commitment to these national and global goals, but also risks damaging its international reputation and future partnerships.”

Asking the government to immediately clear the FP commodities by paying the duties and accrued demurrage, the Coalition further urged that decisive and proactive measures are taken to prevent any future occurrence of similar delays and potential loss of donated commodities.

“The Coalition demands that a quality control assessment of the commodities be conducted once they are cleared from the port to ensure that the use of these com­modities is not detrimental to users’ health.

We are asking the government to prior­itise the improvement of health outcomes for Ghanaians, particularly in the area of reproductive health and we commit to work­ing with the government and other stake­holders to ensure that the country meets its FP commitments,” the Coalition assured.