Author: Priscilla Akorfa Fomevor

Ghana’s health authorities and advocacy groups are mobilizing for the nationwide introduction of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine in 2026, a critical public health intervention aimed at curbing a leading cause of liver disease and cancer in the country. This push comes amid a contrasting move by the United States, which recently removed the hepatitis B vaccine from its recommended childhood immunization schedule. The Hepatitis Alliance of Ghana, led by Executive Director Charles Adjei, confirmed the renewed drive for the vaccine’s rollout after a delayed start in September 2025. The birth dose, administered within 24 hours of delivery, is…

Ghana has cemented its status as a leader in African public health by becoming the first malaria-endemic nation to launch a dedicated treatment for newborns and young infants, closing a dangerous and long-standing gap in care. The treatment, Coartem® Baby, was officially launched in Accra during October following its approval by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority in February 2025. Developed through a partnership between global pharmaceutical leader Novartis and the non-profit Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), this formulation is the first of its kind specifically designed for infants weighing as little as two kilograms. Until now, healthcare workers faced an…

Health authorities have issued a stern warning as a severe influenza A outbreak continues to sweep across the islands, resulting in ten fatalities and a significant number of hospitalizations. The latest surveillance data reveals a sharp and concerning spike in cases as the new year begins. According to the Bulletin de surveillance sanitaire de Polynésie française for the first epidemiological week of 2026 (December 29 to January 4), 48 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A were recorded. The severity of the outbreak is underscored by the high rate of hospitalizations, with twenty-five of those cases requiring inpatient care, including six…

Ghana’s Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has announced a major regulatory and policy drive to strengthen the role of traditional medicine in improving women’s health while ensuring safety, quality, and accountability across the sector. Speaking at the 3rd China–Ghana Traditional Medicine Forum at the Confucius Institute, University of Ghana, the Registrar of the Council, Dr. Yakubu Tobor Yusuf, said the moment calls for decisive action, noting that “ancient wisdom must now meet modern innovation” to deliver real health outcomes for women. “The theme of this forum, ‘Empowering Women, Sharing Health,’ is not merely aspirational—it is a clarion call to action,…

The 3rd China-Ghana Traditional Medicine Forum concluded successfully on 8th January, 2026 at the University of Ghana’s Confucius Institute, bringing together medical experts and practitioners to explore the role of traditional medicine in empowering women’s health. The event, themed “Empowering Women, Sharing Health: Perspectives and Solutions from China-Ghana Traditional Medicine” addressed critical women’s health issues. The forum, organized by the 14th China Medical Team to Ghana in partnership with the Health Community of West Africa (HCOWA) Association, the West African Traditional Medicine Cooperation and Exchange Centre (WATMCEC), and the HCOWAA Medical & Academic Exchange Committee (H-MAEC), emphasized the vital role…

Federal health officials announced the first major overhaul of the nation’s routine childhood immunization schedule in decades, moving several key vaccines from universal to targeted or consultative recommendations. The updated guidance, endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), signals a strategic pivot toward precision public health. Under the new schedule, vaccines against meningococcal disease, hepatitis B, and hepatitis A will no longer be universally recommended for all children. Instead, they will be advised primarily for infants, children, and adolescents considered at higher risk due to geographic, health, or…

The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging African nations to strategically integrate scientifically proven traditional medicine into their national health systems. This integration is championed as a pivotal pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across the continent. The call was made by Dr. Angela Ackon, Technical Officer for Quality and Safety at the WHO Ghana Office, during her address at the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025). Dr. Ackon underscored that with 80% of the global population relying on traditional medicine, its deep-rooted use and acceptance in African communities present a unique opportunity to…

Essence Clinic and Medical Laboratory is now delivering clearer patient scan results in record time, thanks to the launch of a new advanced imaging system. This technology directly tackles the critical delays in diagnostic reporting that plague many Ghanaian healthcare facilities. The system is designed to help medical professionals handle digital imaging more efficiently—automatically processing DICOM files from ultrasound and other equipment, registering examination details, and producing structured reports within seconds. This comes at a time when many health facilities across developing countries struggle with delays due to limited specialists and rising patient numbers. The core aim, according to the…

The Health Community of West Africa (HCOWA) Association took a commanding lead at the 2025 China–Africa Healthcare Market Development Opportunities Exchange and Economic & Trade Cooperation Matching Conference in Chengdu, positioning the West African region as a rising force in healthcare investment, manufacturing, technology transfer, and traditional medicine innovation. With its growing influence and unified regional reach, HCOWA set the tone for a conference that highlighted West Africa’s readiness to partner with China in shaping the next phase of global healthcare development. HCOWA’s delegation—comprising senior health regulators, sector leaders, and technical experts—outlined opportunities spanning pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, hospital development, artificial intelligence,…

HCOWA Ghana and the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) in a collaborative move aimed at transforming the herbal and traditional medicine sector, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the West African Herbal Medicine Joint Standardization Laboratory (WA-HMSL) at the2025 China-Africa Healthcare Market Development Opportunities Exchange and Economic & Trade Cooperation Meeting held in Chengdu-China on 27th November, 2025. The collaboration aims to address long-standing challenges in the sector, including inconsistent quality, lack of scientific validation, and regulatory fragmentation. The new laboratory will serve as a regional hub for research, testing, and certification of herbal medicines, ensuring that products…