The Ghana Health Service has announced plans to introduce mandatory typhoid vaccination for all food industry workers nationwide, targeting street vendors, restaurant staff, and hospitality employees in a phased rollout expected to begin within weeks.
The programme, announced last Thursday by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, at a stakeholder engagement meeting in Accra, aims to curb typhoid transmission through contaminated food. Between 2021 and 2025, Ghana recorded 720,582 typhoid cases, highlighting the persistent public health burden of the disease.
The vaccine will protect recipients for three years and will complement existing medical screening requirements for food handlers. Vaccination status will be linked to the issuance of health certificates required for food industry operations, effectively making it mandatory for workers to receive the vaccine to continue working.
Professor Akoriyea said the programme would be implemented in phases, starting with hotels, restaurants, and food and beverage companies before extending to market vendors and other food handlers. The World Health Organisation-qualified vaccines have been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority and will be offered at a subsidised cost to be announced after the official launch by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Food and Drugs Authority, the Ghana Tourism Authority, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, development partners, and stakeholders from the food and hospitality industry to discuss implementation guidelines.
Professor Akoriyea emphasized that food handlers play a critical role in daily life and economic activity but are also a high-risk group for transmitting typhoid fever due to the nature of their work. He noted that by the nature of their work, food handlers are exposed to contamination and, if infected, can inadvertently contribute to the transmission of typhoid fever.
The Director-General stressed that the success of the programme depends on strong stakeholder ownership, effective communication, and public trust. He said the programme emerged from extensive consultations with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, regulatory agencies, local government authorities, development partners, and representatives of the food and hospitality industry.
The initiative marks a shift from reactive screening and treatment to proactive prevention in Ghana’s fight against typhoid fever. The programme aligns with Ghana’s national health agenda, universal health coverage goals, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Vaccination will be paired with public education campaigns and media engagements to build awareness and trust among food handlers and the general public. Food handlers who do not receive the vaccination will not be issued the required health certificate to operate.
