Family planning (FP) commodities worth over $1.6 million remain stuck at the Tema Port since February this year.
The goods among other medical supplies, donated by the UNFPA and West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) have not been cleared from the port due to unpaid duties and demurrage fees, allegedly leading to shortages of key contraceptive supplies at the central and regional medical stores and health facilities across the country.
A statement signed and issued by a coalition of 55 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in reproductive health in Ghana yesterday, has thus called on government to immediately clear the essential commodities to sustain family planning gains in the country.
According to it, a continued delay in clearing the commodities could significantly increase the rate of unintended pregnancies, leading to unsafe abortions and maternal mortality. "The stock out of these essential supplies has a significant impact on national efforts to improve the health outcomes of Ghanaians, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies and undermining efforts to improve maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes in Ghana," the statement said.