President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed concern over the shortage of childhood vaccines in the country.
According to the president, the shortage if prolonged will negatively affect Ghana’s Childhood Immunisation Programme.
“Mr. Speaker, I must say, however, that the current shortage of some childhood vaccines in the country has concerned me greatly. This shortage, if prolonged, will affect negatively Ghana’s Childhood Immunisation Programme, which has been recognised as one of the most successful in the world.
“The WHO has only recently expressed worry about a steady decline in measles vaccination coverage globally, because of the concentration on the fight against COVID-19,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said this during his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Wednesday, March 8.
Although the president failed to give a specific timeline, he said steps are being taken to ensure that vaccines are procured and supplied to the worrying population.
He also revealed that the Ghana Health Service has developed an elaborate programme to catch up on children who have missed their vaccinations.
The president also mentioned the National Vaccine Institute Bill, which he assured of his assent.
He said, “in the near future, this institute will ensure that no matter what happens to the global vaccine supply chain, we can produce our own vaccines locally”.