13 million People to Receive COVID-19 vaccination in Ghana
The World Bank on 10th June approved a $200 millionGhana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project Second Additional Financing.
In collaboration with the COVAX Facility COVID-19 vaccine acquisition, the project will provide financing to support the Government of Ghana to procure and deploy COVID-19 vaccines for 13 million people in Ghana. The project will also strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s health systems to better prepare for the future pandemic and to secure the continuation of essential health and nutrition services, including routine childhood immunization.
Covid-19 Vaccination in Ghana
Ghana experienced a surge in infections and fatalities in January 2021, entering a second wave of rising infections of COVID-19. The number of daily active cases in February 2021 was as high as the peak of the first wave in June 2020. Furthermore, Ghana was also confirmed to have recorded the COVID-19 variant, which first appeared in South Africa.
“The World Bank is happy to support this second additional financing, given the importance of preventing deaths and reducing transmissionof COVID-19among the populationby providing access to COVID-19 vaccines towards accelerating economic and social recovery in Ghana.” saidPierre Laporte, World Bank Country Director forGhana.“Wearealsoaware of the continuing difficulties in having access to COVID-19 vaccines and logistics due to the global vaccine market challengesandwill continue to work to address the inequity in vaccine supplies that is impacting Ghana and other developing countries.”
The Ghana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project Second Additional Financing will enable the country to explore the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines from a range of sources to support Ghana’s target to vaccinate 17.5 million people in a way that ensures value-for-money. The project will also support an equitable and effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in line with Ghana’s National Vaccine Deployment Plan.
“The project will build on efforts of the existingGhana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project by scaling up and strengthening surveillance of the pandemic;case management; increasing public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine; and COVID-19 vaccine deployment. It will help tostrengthen cold chain equipment, vaccine safety monitoring and medical waste management,” saidGaston Sorgho, Manager of Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice for West Africa Region.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, theWorld Bank Grouphas committedover $125 billionto fight the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic, the fastest and largest crisis response in its history. The financing is helpingmore than 100 countriesstrengthen pandemic preparedness, protect the poor and jobs, and jump-start a climate-friendly recovery. The Bank is alsoproviding $12 billionto help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments.
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Source : African Media Agency (AMA)
