The Youth Sub-Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has added its voice to the call by 567 people and Civil Society Organizations who signed a petition to get the Government of Ghana to establish a Public Health Emergency Fund in line with the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).

A statement issued from the platform said with Ghana faced with unprecedented crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for mitigation strategies including the establishment of the COVID-19 Fund put in place to address the havoc caused by COVID-19.

“Though the mitigation measures contributed to controlling the spread of COVID-19 to some extent, it is worth noting that knee-jerk responses to disease outbreaks have high consequences for a country’s economy and could lead to high mortality rates.

It continued, "As a country, our experience in the wake of COVID-19 should guide us to implement and expand on the implementation of the NAPHS by establishing a Public Health Emergency Fund (PHEF) to rope in the needed investments for Epidemic Preparedness Financing and Response (EPFR)."

"Truth be told, public health emergencies are unforeseeable. No one knows when the next pandemic will hit us again, but we can insulate ourselves from its debilitating effects by adequately preparing by establishing a Public Health Emergency Fund. With such a fund in place, we shall overcome threats posed by any pandemic,” the statement noted.

The Ghana SDGs Youth Sub-Platform further called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Ministries of Finance, Health and other relevant stakeholders to take collective actions in ensuring that the Public Health Emergency Fund is established to mitigate the adverse effects of disease outbreaks.

MA