[ad_1]
Mr. Pierre Laporte, Country Director, World Bank
It will cost the country a minimum of $ 180 million to purchase COVID-19 vaccines against the virus for 60 percent of the population, the World Bank said.
The estimate is based on the World Bank Health Organization (WHO) protocol, which requires countries to vaccinate a minimum of 60 percent of their populations to achieve herd immunity, an indirect protection against the virus for the entire population. citizenship.
The World Bank’s country director, Mr. Pierre Frank Laporte, who spoke to the Daily Graphic in Accra last Tuesday, said the bank was willing and ready to provide the amount for the government in April this year when a official request.
However, he said the amount could change when formal negotiations begin.
AstraZeneca vaccines
Even before the start of formal negotiations between the government and the World Bank, the designated Minister of Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, revealed last Wednesday that the government has ordered 355,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from Europe, which he said will be available by in mid-March of this year.
Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee (ACP), said that the government has made arrangements to cover more than 20 million Ghanaians.
He said the government is receiving financial support from COVAX, a global alliance of governments and vaccine producers, and the African Union (AU).
Expanded budget
Meanwhile, a source close to the Presidency said that while an estimated $ 180 million to $ 200 million was required to purchase the vaccines, it did not reflect the cost of the entire mass vaccination exercise, which could be three times the amount needed. to purchase vaccines.
He said the government has yet to determine the exact amount needed for the entire vaccination exercise, which includes storage, regulatory costs, transportation and distribution across the country.
“Mass vaccination is very labor intensive and this is not an ordinary drug that can be administered behind the counter, so it will be necessary for the entire workforce to be deployed to all parts of the country for this exercise.”
The mode of transportation of these vaccines will also require a special arrangement to keep them safe and efficient in the climatic conditions of the country, and all this will automatically increase the cost of the exercise ”, he added.
Group immunity
When asked why Ghana was aiming for 60% of the entire population to receive the vaccine, the source explained that with viruses it was believed that vaccinating around 60% of the population could generate herd immunity.
“It was believed that when 60 percent of the population is vaccinated, there will be less virus in the system and that could lead to herd immunity.
Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection against infectious diseases that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to infection, either from vaccination or previous infections, to reduce the likelihood of infection for people who lack immunity. .
[ad_2]
