The World Bank has said it will cost Ghana a minimum of $180 million to procure COVID-19 vaccines against the virus for 60 percent of the population.
The $180 million to procure COVID-19 vaccines projection is based on the World Bank Health Organisation (WHO) protocol, which requires that countries vaccinate a minimum of 60 percent of the population.
Pierre Frank Laporte, the Country Director of the World Bank who spoke with the Daily Graphic said the bank was willing and ready to provide the amount for the government by April this year when an official request was made to fight the pandemic.
Ghana is part of the 145 beneficiaries captured on the COVAX Interim Distribution Forecast for vaccines licensed to the Serum Institute of India (AZ/SII).
“This is in line with the facility’s target to reach at least 3% population coverage in all countries in the first half of the year, enough to protect the most vulnerable groups such as healthcare workers,” a statement issued on February 3, 2021, said.
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The Minister-designate for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has disclosed that the government has ordered 355,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from Europe, which he said will be available by the middle of March 2021.
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu made this known when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament and said the government has made arrangements to cover more than 20 million Ghanaians.
He stated that the government is getting financial support from COVAX, a global alliance of government and vaccine producers, and the African Union (AU).
