On 24 February 2021, staff unloads the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines distributed by the COVAX Facility at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana's capital. The shipment with 600 doses of the vaccine also represents the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The COVAX Facility plans to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year. This is an unprecedented global effort to make sure all citizens have access to vaccines. Anne-Claire Dufay UNICEF UNICEF Representative in Ghana and WHO country representative Francis Kasolo said in a joint statement: After a year of disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 80,700 Ghanaians getting infected with the virus and over 580 lost lives, the path to recovery for the people of Ghana can finally begin. "This is a momentous occasion, as the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines into Ghana is critical in bringing the pandemic to an end," These 600,000 COVAX vaccines are part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India, which represent part of the first wave of COVID vaccines headed to several low and middle-income countries. “The shipments also represent the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The COVAX Facility plans to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year. This is an unprecedented global effort to make sure all citizens have access to vaccines. “We are pleased that Ghana has become the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility. We congratulate the Government of Ghana – especially the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and Ministry of Information - for its relentless efforts to protect the population. As part of the UN Country Team in Ghana, UNICEF and WHO reiterate our commitment to support the vaccination campaign and contain the spread of the virus, in close cooperation with all partners, including Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Vaccines save lives. As health workers and other front-line staff are vaccinated, we will be able to gradually see a return to normalcy, including better access to health, education and protection services. In the spirit of Universal Health Coverage, let’s leave no one behind."
The government will receive 1.5 million vaccines out of the 70 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines granted to Africa by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
At a media briefing at the Jubilee House, Monday, Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin said the gesture resulted from President Akufo-Addo’s bilateral discussion with his German counterpart during his recent visit to Germany.
According to him, having received confirmation in this regard, President Akufo-Addo is making arrangements to take delivery of the vaccines.
“The German Chancellor made it known to the President that a total of 1.2 million vaccines, were to be given to Ghana but a few hours ago, I got confirmation from the President, that this has increased from 1.2 million to 1.5 million.”
This comes days after Germany promised to make up to 70 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccines available to African countries this year.
Chancellor Angela Merkel made the announcement on Friday, more than doubling a previous pledge to donate 30 million.
“Germany will make available not only 30 million doses of vaccines, but it will be as much as 70 million doses,” Merkel told a news conference after a summit with African leaders on the G20’s Compact with Africa initiative.
Merkel said she was confident that there could be a “transfer, step by step, of the technology” to allow the production of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa.
Mr Arhin added that as announced by the Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the US has also promised to give Ghana 1.5 million doses of Moderna vaccines.
“All in all, we should be hitting around 5million doses. So far, at this particular stage, it is a good initiative taken by the Akufo-Addo government to rid our country of Covid-19,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) will from Tuesday, August 31, begin the administration of the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccines to persons 18 years and above.
Those who qualify to be vaccinated are persons who received the first dose of vaccine from March 10 to March 29, 2021.
All persons eligible for this exercise are encouraged to “come along with your Covid-19 Vaccination Card and a valid National ID Card,” the Service said.
Source: MyJoyOnline
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