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NSA- Ghana commends govt for protecting citizens against COVID-19

The Non-State-Actors in health and development Ghana (NSA-Ghana) yesterday commended the government for showing leadership in the COVAX vaccination drive to ensure that Ghanaians are protected against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has a goal of ensuring equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally.

While the first consignment was catering for two per cent of the population, the NSA-Ghana is urging the government to expedite action to bring in more doses in keeping with the national vaccination roll-out plan. 

According to the NSA-Ghana which is a coalition of organisations operating in the health sector, at least 65 to 70 per cent of the country’s population needed to be vaccinated.

“To reach her immunity, literally means that there will be so little virus circulating in the country that, the rest of the population will be protected,” a message posted on its website monitored by the Ghanaian Times has stated.

Immunisation, it said, was a key component of Primary Health Care and an indisputable human right and one of the best investments money could buy. 

While acknowledging the mixed feelings of pros and cons that greeted the roll-out of the Programme, the NSA-Ghana assured that vaccines are very critical to the prevention and control of infectious-disease outbreaks and must be accepted by all. 

Stating further, the organisation said vaccines underpin global health security and are a vital tool in the battle against antimicrobial resistance. 

With the successes chalked over the years in the prevention of various infectious diseases through vaccination and the devastation of COVID-19 continues to ravage worldwide,  NSA-Ghana is  urging  the government, agencies, assembly members, traditional leaders, celebrities and the media to work hand in hand to erase negative perceptions of Ghanaians about the vaccines.

“We encourage the general public to partake in the public sensitisation as well as to be open-minded regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

The NSA Ghana noted that it was critical that “we all understand that, despite the introduction of vaccines, we need to continue adhering to the COVID-19 protocols by wearing a nose mask, regular hand washing or hand sanitising and the practising of social and physical distancing as these preventative measures remain key to keeping all safe.”

BY NORMAN COOPER

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