The designated Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, led a delegation from the government to receive the consignment.
When the plane with the vaccines landed, the state-run journalist of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Abdul Hayi-Moomen, declared: “The flight with the vaccines we love so much, I believe there has been hope.”
The vaccines were manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, in the Indian city of Pune, and are part of the first wave of Covid-19 vaccines that have led to low- and middle-income countries, the statement added.
“Today is the historic moment for which we have planned and worked so hard,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF’s Executive Director. “With the first dose doses, we can live up to the promise of the COVAX facility to ensure that people from less wealthy countries do not lag behind in the race for life-saving vaccines.”
The vaccinations are first administered to health workers, people over 60, and those with underlying health conditions, according to a statement from the Ministry of Information. They also plan to secure additional vaccines through external agencies, the statement said.
Last month, India and the African Union announced plans for the Serum Institute to deliver 400 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Africa.