CSOs Make Urgent Call to Government to Help Clear $1.6m Worth of Family Planning Commodities Stuck at Tema Port

A coalition of 55 civil society organizations (CSOs) focused on reproductive health in Ghana has issued an urgent call to the government to clear essential Family Planning (FP) commodities and other medical products that have been stuck at the Tema Port for more than seven months.
The CSOs warn that further delays could lead to critical shortages, putting women’s health and the country’s reproductive health goals at risk.The FP commodities, valued at $1.6 million, were donated by the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in February 2024.
However, unpaid duties and increasing demurrage fees have prevented the government from clearing these items from the port. The delay has led to stockouts of key contraceptive supplies at health facilities across Ghana, causing concerns about the rise in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality.
According to the coalition, the consequences could be severe. Using Marie Stopes International’s (MSI) impact calculator, they estimate that these supplies could have prevented over 199,000 unintended pregnancies, 62,000 unsafe abortions, and 255 maternal deaths.
The absence of these commodities may undermine Ghana’s efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality rates, with potential cost implications of over 200 million Ghana cedis in direct healthcare costs.
This situation comes despite the government’s recent launch of the Ghana Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan (GFPCIP), which aims to provide equitable access to family planning services by 2030.
The coalition fears that continued delays in clearing these essential supplies cast doubt on Ghana’s commitment to achieving these goals, as well as the larger targets outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.


