Ghana will be spending at least $10 to get one person vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to estimates from the Ghana Health Service.
With the target to vaccinate 20 million persons, this would mean the government could spend up to $200 million in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
At a press briefing on Friday, February 19, 2021, Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Achiano, the manager of Ghana Health Service’s Expanded Programme on Vaccinations, explained that the estimates factored in the vaccine cost and operations cost.
Operation costs have been estimated at up to $3 per person.
“For every person getting two doses, that will cost about $2.6 to $3 dollars per persons fully vaccinated for the two doses, and we are aiming at vaccinating 20 million people,” Dr. Amponsah-Achiano said.
For the cost of the vaccines, the Ghana Health Service has pegged the average cost range at between $7 and $10.
“We have different vaccines with different costs ranging between $4 and $14. For our planning purposes, we have used an average of around $7 to $10 per dose,” Dr. Amponsah-Achiano disclosed.
The Food and Drugs Authority has approved the AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines for use in Ghana.
The government has also considered Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The government plans to purchase 350,000 doses of the AstraZeneca by the end of February and the vaccine rollout has been earmarked for between March and October, according to Dr. Amponsah-Achiano’s presentation during the press conference on Friday, February 19, 2021.
He also gave more details on the three population segments for the rollout of the vaccine.
The first group of residents for vaccination includes frontline health workers, persons with underlying health conditions, frontline security personnel, members of the arms of government, among others.
Ultimately, all Ghanaians 18 years and above, with the exception of pregnant women, will be vaccinated.
“The vaccination will be expanded to include children and pregnant women as time goes on and as safety data becomes available.”
The Greater Accra Region, Ashanti and Western Region will receive priority because of the prevalence of infection in these areas.
The Ghana Health Service planned to train 12,500 vaccinators, 40,000 volunteers and 2,000 supervisors.
Only 15 of Ghana’s districts will require new cold chain equipment, according to Dr. Amponsah-Achiano.
“These requirements are obviously based on characteristics of the chosen COVID-19 vaccine meeting the exist routine storage and transport system,” he added.
