GHS health information systems shut down nationwide over US$64,510 cloud hosting bill

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has temporarily halted access to its electronic health information systems across the nation following its cloud hosting provider's server shutdown due to unpaid administrative fees. The disruption, which commenced on October 29, 2026, impacts the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS2), the national health information reporting platform, as well as other digital systems utilized throughout the healthcare sector.

In an internal communication dated November 2, addressed to regional and divisional directors, GHS Director-General Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea informed that the provider had deactivated all 10 servers hosting the systems. However, he reassured that the shutdown did not lead to a security breach or data loss, as nightly encrypted backups remain current as of October 29, 2026.

The affected systems include DHIMS2, which manages national health information, the Planning and Budget Management Information System, eTracker, FPHC platform, OTSS assessments, NCD tracker, HIV and tuberculosis trackers, ISRS sample tracker, National Malaria Data Repository, Events system, SMS alerts, transport system, and the Community Health Information Management portal.

Dr. Akoriyea instructed health facilities to resort to paper-based reporting until access is restored. The GHS is exploring two options to restore services: paying the outstanding US$64,510.95 to Akamai to reactivate the existing account, or procuring new servers and rebuilding the systems, which could take up to six weeks. The health authority is seeking approval for a US$64,510.95 payment to Akamai to reinstate the account, aiming to expedite the process with sector minister support.