The President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has arrived in Brussels, Belgium, as a key advocate for the GAVI Alliance’s global vaccine replenishment drive. The announcement was officially made today, June 25, in a statement signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications.
President Mahama is in Brussels to participate in the Global Summit on Health and Prosperity through Immunisation, a major international gathering co-hosted by the European Union, the Gates Foundation, and the Vaccine Alliance. The summit is focused on raising essential support for Gavi’s 2026-2030 strategy, which aims to immunise an additional 500 million children, save more than 8 million lives, and protect the world from up to 150 potential disease outbreaks. The success of this strategy is expected to yield over $100 billion in global economic benefits.
In the statement, President Mahama emphasized the life-saving potential of the initiative, stating:
“A fully funded Gavi will save millions of lives, unlock significant economic potential, and strengthen global health security.”
President Mahama’s participation reflects his long-standing commitment to improving global access to vaccines, especially in lower-income countries. Drawing from Ghana’s own success story in immunisation, the President has been a consistent and passionate voice for vaccine equity on the world stage. In 2013, he played a similar leadership role in supporting Gavi’s mission to expand immunisation and save children’s lives.
The summit presents a critical moment to attract new and continued support from international donors. The statement added:
“The Global Summit provides a critical opportunity to garner renewed commitment from traditional and newer donors.”
President Mahama’s leadership is helping to highlight the proven impact of Gavi’s partnerships with governments, international organisations, civil society, communities, and industry leaders. Since its establishment in 2000, Gavi has reached over a billion children, prevented more than 18.8 million deaths, and generated over $250 billion in economic benefits.
While in Brussels, President Mahama is also expected to hold high-level discussions with several global leaders, including the President of the EU Council of Ministers and Bill Gates, as part of efforts to strengthen international collaboration on health and vaccine equity.
