Ghana has become the first African country to receive Coronavirus vaccines from the COVID-19 Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC) facility.

The development comes after Ghana’s Ministry of Health in the early hours of Wednesday, February 24 2021 took delivery of some 600,000 doses of the vaccines.

According to a press statement jointly issued by Anne-Claire Dufay, the UNICEF Representative in Ghana and Dr. Francis Kasolo, the WHO Representative in Ghana, the COVAX Facility package represents part of the first batch of two billion vaccines to be supplied to low and middle-income countries.

“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. The only way out of this crisis is to ensure that vaccinations are available for all. We thank all partners that are supporting the COVAX Facility to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to all countries quickly and fairly."

“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," portions of the statement read.

Additionally, Presidential advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare has disclosed President Akufo-Addo will be administered the first dose of the vaccine.

The move is expected to encourage the public about the safety and efficiency of the vaccines.


Read the full statement below: