The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA) organized a stakeholder engagement on June 3, 2025, to gather input that will support the development of comprehensive guidelines and requirements for the repatriation of human remains. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Health’s conference hall, and it was a follow-up of a previous session held on September 17, 2024. Its core aim was to formulate a regulatory framework that would harmonize documentation procedures, simplify processes, and clarify protocols governing the repatriation process. This effort comes in response to ongoing challenges, including delays in paperwork, unclear procedures, and inconsistencies in authorization, which continue to hinder the timely, dignified and respectful repatriation of human remains. The broader goal is to ensure that public health is protected during these processes.

The meeting brought together stakeholders from the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Births and Deaths Registry, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Cremation Society, and licensed funeral service providers.

Participants expressed strong support for the Agency’s efforts and urged it to assert its regulatory mandate to enhance the repatriation system in line with both local and international best practices.

In response, the Agency reaffirmed its dedication to the licensing, controlling and regulation of facilities engaged in the storage, transportation, and final disposal of human remains, in accordance with Section 29 of the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829).