Tamale, Ghana – Samuel Zan Akologo, Executive Secretary of Caritas Ghana, a charity organization of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), has called for equitable access to covid-19 vaccines by all Ghanaian citizens and persons resident in the country.
Accordingly, he appealed to all Ghanaians to accept and agree to take the vaccine when it finally rolled out fully across the country by the Ministry of Health in the coming months.
Mr Akologo said, it was the belief of the organization, that equitable access to and acceptance of the vaccine would ensure total or significant protection of all Ghanaians.
He said this at a media engagement meeting held by Caritas Ghana in Tamale on Wednesday to update journalists on the Interfaith Actions for Social Behaviour Change on Covid-19 project which implementation came to an end on March 31, 2021.
Supported by STAR Ghana Foundation, the project sought to implement strategies that would help halt the spread of the virus using social and behavior change communication strategies.
The project was implemented through the “Faith in Ghana” platform, an interfaith network of influential faith-based organizations in Ghana consisting of the Office of the National Chief Imam (ONCI), Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Ghana (AMM), Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), GCBC, Federation of Muslim Women Association in Ghana (FOMWAG) and the Marshallan Relief and Development Services (MAREDES).
The second phase of the project “Campaign for Access, Equity and Acceptance of covid-19 vaccines” which has since been launched, now seeks to ensure that all Ghanaians have equitable access to the vaccine and more importantly, accept to take it to safeguard themselves from the virus.
Mr Zan Akologo, however, expressed fear that government’s inability to roll out the general national vaccine programme on time could make it impossible for many people to get the vaccine.
“Very soon we would be entering into the farming season in the Northern part of the country. If by the end of April or May the national vaccine programme is not rolled out, many people would leave for their farms because time would not be on their side to go and queue for the vaccine”, he explained.
He also made the point that there was the need to continue to sensitise the populace because there were still many misconceptions regarding the vaccine which were untrue but could pose a challenge to the smooth nationwide roll out.
By SavannahNewsOnline.Com/Philip Liebs