Brussels, Belgium – President John Dramani Mahama has held high-level consultations with philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in Brussels, as part of engagements leading up to the Gavi Vaccine Alliance Pledging Conference.
The meeting underscored Ghana’s renewed commitment to advancing healthcare access, sustainable financing, and vaccine equity.
During their discussions, President Mahama and Gates focused on Ghana’s ambitious health sector interventions, including the Free Primary Healthcare Programme, the ongoing work of the National Vaccine Institute, and the landmark decision to un-cap the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIS).
These initiatives, Mr. Mahama said, are delivering tangible improvements in access to basic healthcare services and require sustained international support to deepen their impact.
“Our discussion focused on Ghana’s vital interventions in the health sector.
We covered key topics, including the significant progress on the Free Primary Healthcare programme, the ongoing work of the National Vaccine Institute, and the impact of uncapping the NHIS to improve healthcare access and financing,” he stated.
Mr. Mahama used the opportunity to express gratitude to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its consistent and wide-reaching philanthropic work in Ghana, especially through its support for vaccine delivery, public health innovation, and maternal and child health initiatives.
“I also thanked Mr. Gates and the Gates Foundation for their extensive work in Ghana and their crucial contribution to the Gavi Vaccine Alliance,” he added.
In a separate meeting, Mr. Mahama met with José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Gavi Board and former President of the European Commission.
Mr. Barroso lauded Ghana’s steadfast commitment to the Gavi mission and praised Mahama’s advocacy for immunization and global health equity.
“Supporting an organisation that is doing such crucial work for global health is always a pleasure,” Mahama said of his continued support for Gavi’s efforts to expand access to life-saving vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.
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