ACCRA, Ghana (AP) – Ghana has become the first country in the world to receive vaccines purchased through the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative, with a delivery of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine by the Serum Institute of India.
The vaccines, delivered by UNICEF, arrived at Accra International Airport early Wednesday and are part of the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines sent by COVAX, an international cooperation program designed to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have fair access. at Vaccines covid19. COVAX is run by the United Nations World Health Organization; Gavi, a group of vaccines; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations or CEPI.
Ghana is one of 92 low- and middle-income countries that receive free COVAX vaccines. Another 90 countries and eight territories have agreed to pay if they choose to receive COVAX vaccines.
The West African nation, worth 30 million, has recorded 81,245 cases and 584 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, according to figures from Ghana Health Services on Tuesday.
The vaccination campaign in Ghana will start on March 2 and will take place in stages among the priority groups, starting with health workers, adults over 60, people with underlying health conditions, front-line executive, legislature, justice and their staff, Ghana’s interim Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said in a statement.
“The government of Ghana remains committed to ensuring the well-being of all Ghanaians and is making frantic efforts to obtain adequate vaccines that cover the entire population through bilateral and multilateral agencies,” he said.
In a joint statement, UNICEF and WHO described the arrival of COVAX vaccines as a critical “important opportunity” to end the pandemic.
“After a year of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic … the road to recovery for the people of Ghana can finally begin,” the statement said.
The dispatch of COVAX to Ghana is the beginning of what will be the largest vaccine supply and operation in the world in history, according to the statement. COVAX plans to deliver nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide this year.
“Today marks the historic moment for which we planned and worked so hard. With the first delivery of doses, we can fulfill the promise of the COVAX Facility to ensure that people in less affluent countries are not left behind in the race for life-saving vaccines, ”said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.
“The next phase of the fight against this disease can begin – the intensification of the largest immunization campaign in history,” Fore said. “Every step of this journey takes us further on the road to recovery for billions of affected children and families around the world.”
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Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal.