Denmark donates 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Ghana
Denmark Wednesday donated about 1. 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Ghana through the COVAX facility.
This forms part of close to 2.1 million vaccines doses Denmark has allocated to Ghana, making it an important supporter of Ghana’s ongoing bid to prevent a fourth wave of COVID-19 through a targeted vaccination drive.
Denmark would also donate an additional 396,000 of COVID-19 vaccine doses to Ghana in the next few days, an official statement issued to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said.
In November, the Denmark donated 105,600 vaccine doses, while 78,720 vaccine doses were presented in October this year to Ghana.
Ghana aims to achieve herd immunity by vaccinating 20 million of its 30.8 million people.
This comes after Danish Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen paid an official visit to Ghana in November this year and underscored the importance of global vaccine collaboration in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Denmark through the COVAX facility and UNICEF also donated GH¢32.5 million support for Ghana’s COVID-19 response 2020-21, extending water and sanitation facilities to about 50, 000 people in 10 low- income urban communities in Greater Accra and Kumasi.
Denmark ealier this year doubled its COVID-19 vaccine contribution to developing countries, ensuring that a minimum of one vaccine dose was donated by every Dane.
Last week, the overall pledge was increased by an additional 3.7 million doses, recognising the importance of vaccines in the fight against the current surge in COVID-19 infections across the world, the statement said.
“While the decision to allocate almost 2.1 million of the vaccines donated by Denmark to Ghana has been taken by the COVAX facility based on a needs assessment, Denmark is pleased to see the Danish contribution support the ongoing vaccination efforts of the Government of Ghana,” said the statement.
Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation, Mr Flemming Møller Mortensen, emphasised that the vaccination must focus on frontline personnel in Africa and elsewhere.
“The entire world will remain exposed to new virus outbreaks until the most vulnerable population groups and health systems are protected,” he said.
Denmark, the statement said was also supporting Ghana’s Covid-19 response through a substantial expansion of water points in dense urban settlements in Accra and Kumasi.
The project, implemented by UNICEF, also involves activities aimed at improving sanitation, hygiene, health and protection in the targeted communities.
Mr Mortensen said Denmark was committed to vaccine solidarity, stressing, ‘Nobody is safe until everyone is safe’.
Denmark has so far donated 7.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to COVAX – the international vaccine facility.
Source: GNA