Zipline staff at one of the stations
Zipline Ghana has served notice it will be suspending three of its operational centres within the country following the government’s inability to make outstanding payments and the unclear settlement guidelines from the Ministry of Health.
Zipline Country Director, Daniel Kwaku Merki, who disclosed this in a letter issued to the Ministry of Health, said the suspension include the Anum Distribution Centre, which currently serves Asuogyaman, Lower Manya Krobo, Kwahu Afram Plains North and South.
According to him, while the institution appreciates the critical role its service plays in healthcare delivery across the country, the financial constraints have left them unable to maintain full operations across all six distribution centres.
“I write to formally notify you that Zipline will be suspending operations at three of our distribution centres in Ghana, effective Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
“While on suspension, the Zipline Anum team will work directly with Regional Medical Stores and Cold Rooms to facilitate the safe return of medical stock currently in the warehouse.
The team will be on standby to support the notification of all affected health facilities to aid their planning and minimise disruptions to essential services,” parts of the letter indicated.
Since 2019, Zipline has delivered over 800,000 shipments, including more than 8 million medical products, 17 million vaccine doses, and 23,000 units of blood to health facilities nationwide.
Independent studies have shown Zipline’s impact to include: 56.4% reduction in maternal mortality in Zipline-served facilities, 60% reduction in medical stock-outs, and 13-37 percentage-point increases in immunisation rates, at a cost of just $0.66 per additional fully immunised child, making it one of the most cost-effective health interventions ever evaluated.
These achievements, the statement pointed out, was made possible through strong collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, National Blood Service, and dedicated partners.
The statement further read, “Together, we have helped save tens of thousands of lives. This suspension is a necessary step to ensure the long-term sustainability of our operations and is not a retreat from our mission.
“We remain fully engaged with the Ministry of Health and are hopeful for a positive resolution that will enable us to resume full operations if circumstances permit.”
By Prince Fiifi Yorke