Statement on positioning Ghana to benefit from
COVID-19 Vaccines
- Noting that COVID-19 continues to cause havoc worldwide crossing the 1 million mortality number, and all predictions indicate that the situation is likely to be with us for some time;
- Recognizing that current preventive measures (social distancing, face masks, hand washing) have to be initiated repetitively, and almost forever as long as the pandemic continues;
- Admitting that immunisation is one of the most cost-effective public health measures of modern times with a positive long-term impact, and is not only key to protect the immunised but can additionally build up herd immunity and thus protect the whole community by reducing the amount of new infections. ln the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that the availability of safe and effective vaccines for use in human populations will play a major role, with other preventive measures in addressing the pandemic.
- Noting that Ghana has access to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Facility, which aims to secure doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Gavi-eligible 92 low- and middle-income countries for at least 2Ao/o of the population, focusing on health care workers and vulnerable groups. COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness lnnovations (CEPI), and WHO, working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers. The goal is by the end of 2021 to deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines to all participating
countries) - Recognizing that the NITAG (National lmmunization TechnicalAdvisory Group), in collaboration with other relevant professional bodies, needs to develop a system for prioritization of vulnerable groups in-country, to guide decision making on target groups for COVID-19 vaccine. ln addition, the NITAG needs to review the portfolio of vaccines to be presented by Gavi, including assessments of the surveillance system in place for monitoring Adverse Events Following lmmunization. (AEFI)
The Ghana Public Health Association proposes the following to the government, key policymakers, and the international community on the following:
- development of COVID-19 vaccines, including prioritizing whom and where will have priority access to available vaccines.
- Ghana should be guided by the cost-effectiveness, safety, and effectiveness of any
COVID-19 vaccines are available before accepting any vaccine candidates. - Ghana should use the assessment results of the AEFI surveillance monitoring system to guide decision-making on the selection of vaccines for the target groups. (especially on newer vaccines like the mRNA vaccine, for which there is no previous commercial experience).
- Government should budget counterpart funding for the COVlD-19 vaccine in the 2021 budget as Gavi expects COVAX AMC countries to co-finance up to $1.60 – $2 per dose for the newer vaccines.
- Government should sign the GAVI COVAX fund to benefit from low-cost, safe, and efficacious vaccines produced by the international community if that has not been done yet.
- Ghana should make its case to the Gavi Board for a waiver of co-financing obligations for 2020 ad 2021 due to the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy.
- Government should work with other African Union countries to explore a collaborative and long-term approach to investment capacity building and Research & Development for vaccine production.
- Government should support scientists to work with WHO and other technical partners to further build capacity by participating in vaccine trials as has been done in the past for other new vaccines including malaria, Rota, and Ebola.
Official document :
GPHA 