Covid-19: Ghana receives the world's first delivery of free vaccines

The first global delivery of vaccines from the Covax device arrived by plane in Ghana on February 24, 2021. REUTERS - FRANCIS KOKOROKO

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

The plane landed this Wednesday morning in Accra for the world's first delivery of vaccines from the Covax device.

These free doses are supposed to smooth the inequalities between rich and low-income countries regarding vaccine supply.

Why is Ghana the first country to benefit from this program?

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Accra,

Marine Jeannin

According to

the WHO

, Ghana was chosen "

based on various factors, including a strong deployment plan and well-established health restrictions

."

The

Ghana

had to prove that his health personnel and cold chain equipment were prepared to support rapid distribution.

This deployment plan begins today, with the arrival in Accra of 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and shipped by Unicef ​​from Mumbaï.

First phase of vaccination in March

In the coming days, these doses will be distributed to health centers across the country, primarily in the cities of Accra, Kumasi and Obuasi, where the number of infections is particularly high.

The first phase of vaccination will take place on March 2.

The first to receive his vaccine will be Ghanaian President

Nana Akufo-Addo.

Health professionals on the front line in the fight against Covid-19, people with fragile health and those over the age of 60 will then be vaccinated.

But also a panel of high-ranking political and religious leaders handpicked.

In a second step, the vaccines will be administered to the rest of the population.

A few days ago, the head of the Ghana vaccination plan, Kwame Amponsa-Akyianu, promised that Ghana would vaccinate 20 million people, or two-thirds of its total population.

But the difficulty is not only

to obtain the vaccine

.

We must also convince the population to be vaccinated, while false information and conspiracy theories are widely circulated.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Coronavirus

• Vaccines

• Ghana