Ghana has suffered a $78 million shortfall in its health sector following the closure of programmes previously supported by United States Agency for International Development, President John Dramani Mahama said on Monday, warning of mounting pressure on healthcare systems across Africa.

Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Mahama said the withdrawn funding had supported critical public health interventions, including maternal and child healthcare, malaria control, HIV and AIDS programmes, nutrition, and the supply of antiretroviral drugs.

“In Ghana, health financing from bilateral and multilateral partners has significantly decreased since 2025. Ghana lost 78 million dollars in health funding following the closure of USAID programmes,” he said.

The president noted that the development reflects a broader continental trend, with many low- and middle-income countries facing declining donor support in recent years.

According to Mahama, the funding gap is exposing structural vulnerabilities in national health systems that rely heavily on external assistance to sustain essential services.

“The reduction in support is not isolated to Ghana,” he said, adding that shrinking donor inflows are creating “serious gaps” in healthcare delivery across Africa.

He stressed the need for countries to strengthen domestic health financing and adopt more resilient funding models to protect gains made in disease control and public health outcomes.

The funding cuts, he said, risk undermining progress in key sectors such as malaria and HIV response, particularly in countries where external partners have historically played a central role.

Mahama called for reforms in global health financing frameworks to ensure continuity and sustainability, warning that without urgent action, recent gains in public health could be reversed.