Ghana, like many countries in the WHO Africa Region, remains vulnerable to public health emergencies due to underlying vulnerabilities and challenging health systems. Between 2022 to 2025, the country has responded to several disease outbreaks including meningitis, dengue fever, cholera, Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever and mpox. These outbreaks placed considerable pressure on the public health system, often disrupting the delivery of essential health care in the most affected areas. 

One of the most significant events during this period was the resurgence of cholera, after several years without a major outbreak. The outbreak extended into 2025 and resulted in more than 7,000 cases and 51 deaths. During such emergencies, World Health Organization (WHO) and other development partners provide technical and operational support to the Government of Ghana across multiple response areas including coordination, surveillance and laboratory, treatment, mental health and psycho-social services, infection prevention and control, risk communication with community engagement and logistics. 

However, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and other Public Health Emergencies (PHE) highlighted the importance of coordination, harmonization, and accountability. While many partners were supporting health security efforts, there was no structured mechanism to coordinate and harmonize these contributions. This sometimes led to duplication of efforts and limited opportunities for partners to align their resources with national priorities.

Recognizing this coordination gap, WHO facilitated the formation of a sub-group of the already existing Health Development Partners (DPs), a coordination platform within the broader Health Sector Development Partners framework. The sub-group was created to strengthen collaboration among partners and improve the alignment of technical and financial support for Ghana’s public health emergency preparedness and response efforts. 

WHO supported the initial formation of the group and drafted the Terms of Reference (TOR) to guide its operations. At the group’s maiden meeting convened by WHO, development partners reviewed the draft and provided inputs. 

WHO now serves as chair and secretariat of the group, with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) serving as co-chair.

The platform brings together key development partners working in health security, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Japan Embassy, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, US CDC, WHO and the World Bank.

Partners meet every two months, with members taking turns hosting meetings at their offices. This arrangement has helped foster ownership of the platform while also creating opportunities for networking and collaboration across different health programmes.

Through the platform, development partners and government counterparts engage in discussions to strengthen coordination and alignment of support for public health emergency prevention, preparedness, readiness, response and recovery in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR). The group also facilitates joint planning, information sharing and collaborative analysis, helping ensure that partner contributions respond to national priorities.

To further strengthen coordination during active outbreaks, WHO also convenes bi-weekly virtual coordination meetings with partners. These sessions provide timely updates on epidemiological trends, response activities and emerging needs, enabling partners to rapidly map resources and direct support to priority response areas.

The impact of this coordination platform is already being seen.

During the mpox outbreak, partners were able to align their support through the platform, enabling approximately US$800,000 and other resources mobilized by the Global Fund, WHO, US CDC and UNICEF to be directed toward priority response activities across the country. This coordinated approach helped reduce duplication, improved complementarity among partners and supported national response efforts. As a result, the outbreak has slowed significantly, with mortality remaining low at approximately 0.7%.

The platform has also supported broader preparedness efforts. WHO, US CDC and the Palladium Group, with funding from FCDO, are collaborating with the Government of Ghana to develop a five-year National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) and a two-year operational plan. The planning process uses WHO’s NAPHS guidance and is informed by the findings of the 2025 Joint External Evaluation of International Health Regulations capacities, helping ensure that Ghana’s preparedness investments are evidence-based and aligned with global standards.

Beyond outbreak coordination, the Health Development Partners Health Security Sub-Group has strengthened collaboration among key partners working on health security. The platform has facilitated joint advocacy with the Ministry of Health and other government sectors to advance priorities such as strengthening public health emergency coordination systems and promoting One Health approaches that integrate human, animal and environmental health.

By bringing partners together around a shared coordination mechanism, WHO has helped improve the alignment of development partner support for health security in Ghana. The platform continues to support stronger collaboration, more efficient use of resources and better preparedness for future public health emergencies—contributing to national efforts to protect lives and livelihoods.