[ad_1]
On April 20, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the end of the three-week blockade, which had been imposed on the capital, Accra, and the second largest city, Kumasi, on March 30.
Citizens are encouraged to wear face masks and adhere to the guidelines of social distancing. Other restrictions remain in place, such as school closings and a ban on social events and public gatherings. The borders will remain closed for another two weeks from April 20.
The president said the decision was made after successes in containing the spread of the virus, due to improved testing and the expansion of treatment centers.
As of April 28, Ghana had 1,671 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 16 deaths related to the virus.
The move is also a response to fears about the negative impact of the blockade on the poorest citizens: In Ghana, as elsewhere, poor people are often the most affected by Covid-19 containment measures, as they depend on daily earnings and have little savings. to fall again. Similar concerns are expressed across the continent.
Currently, many African countries are blocked, but governments are struggling to provide adequate support to the most economically vulnerable segments of the population, particularly those who normally work within the informal economy.
As a result, other countries in the region feel pressure to follow Ghana’s demand.
For example, in late March, the South African government imposed one of the strictest blockades in the world. In response, the opposition party openly criticized the program, saying it could lead to deaths from violence and malnutrition. On April 24, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the closure would be reduced from May 1, arguing that “people need to eat” and “earn a living.”
Therefore, the result of Ghana’s decision to lift the closure will attract considerable attention in the coming days and weeks.
Mobilization at the national level
Ghana’s relative success in limiting the effects of Covid-19 so far is mainly attributable to a number of large-scale health care initiatives.
As OBG has detailed, the pandemic has significantly expanded the adoption of electronic health solutions in the country.
Along with this, a new rapid results testing program has been established, with more than 60,000 samples analyzed to date.
In collaboration with the new American company Zipline, the government has been using drones to speed up the delivery of samples from more remote areas.
Zipline already operates drone fleets in Ghana and Rwanda that deliver blood, vaccines and essential medical supplies to rural areas. According to the company, this is the first time in world history that autonomous drones have been used for regular long-range deliveries in urban areas.
Elsewhere, local industry has been reused to support the medical campaign against Covid-19.
In early April, five Accra-based companies began producing personal protective equipment, while the Ghana Education Service joined forces with the waste management company Zoomlion Ghana in an initiative to fumigate all high schools, special and techniques of the country.
The president has expressed his desire for Ghana to become more self-sufficient as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this sense, such initiatives are expected to continue serving domestic demand as it evolves, strengthening the country’s production capacity and reducing its dependence on imports of medical supplies.
A new era for Ghana’s healthcare
Amid these initiatives, recent development signals the government’s long-term commitment to overhaul the healthcare ecosystem.
On April 27, President Akufo-Addo announced plans to build more than 90 hospitals, saying the pandemic had highlighted weaknesses in the system stemming from a lack of investment.
The new centers will be built across the country and will comprise 88 district hospitals, six regional hospitals, and three infectious disease centers.
There are around nine hospital beds for every 10,000 people in Ghana, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. If the plan continues as announced, it will provide a significant boost to the country’s medical infrastructure, as well as generate jobs and investment.
However, questions have been raised about the viability of the project in the context of the widely expected global economic slowdown; the government will present a proposed plan to parliament in July.
