US government donates 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Ghana

The vice-president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, has assured the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, that the US will soon donate some 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Ghana.

This is in addition to the 1.2 million Moderna vaccines received by Ghana from the United States on 4 September 2021.

Vice-President Harris made this news known on Thursday (23 September 2021), when she held bilateral talks with President Akufo-Addo at the White House, with the aim of strengthening the ties of co-operation and friendship between the two countries.

Shared responsibility

Addressing a press conference before a closed-door meeting between the pair and their delegations, the US vice-president said that Ghana and the United States share a commitment to global health and to minimise the effects of COVID-19.

“None of us have been immune from the ravages of the pandemic,” she said. “We recognise our shared responsibility to collaborate, to share resources, to not only continue to address the effects of COVID-19, but also to prepare for the next pandemics.”

She continued, “The United States is proud to be a member of COVAX and the African Union, and has donated more than 1.2 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Ghana. I am proud to announce that, shortly, we will send 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.”

Welcoming President Akufo-Addo to the White House, Ms Harris said that the meeting with the Ghanaian president “is a reaffirmation of the strength of the relationship between the United States and Ghana, and of course we have deep historical ties as our official bilateral relationship began in 1957”.

Confidence

Commending President Akufo-Addo for his handling of Ghana’s economy, the US vice-president said that “American companies continue to ramp up in Ghana, understanding the significance of the work that they do there to America’s economy, much less to the partnership between Ghana and the United States”.

She continued, “They do this also because we are confident in the Government of Ghana and the environment, Mr President, that you have created, which allows for some confidence in the respect and upholding of the rule of law and human rights.

“And so, with all of that, we look forward to continue to work together.”

For his part, President Akufo-Addo thanked Vice-President Harris for the invitation, and stressed that Ghana and the United States of America share very much the same commitments.

“We want to develop our nation as a democracy, as a country where freedom and respect for human rights and the rule of law are paramount to our system of governance,” he said.

While expressing gratitude for the US support towards helping to curb the pandemic in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo said that the “other main preoccupation for us is the co-operation that we have to put together to defeat the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel”. This is an area, he said, which requires further support from the US government.

“We are looking for support for our armed forces and for the intelligence agencies of our [sub-region], so that they can be in stronger positions,” he said.

“Many of those leading the jihadist insurrections in West Africa are the people who came from Iraq after they were driven out … so I think … there’s information here that can assist us to be able to track down and be able to deal with these people.”

President Akufo-Addo was hopeful that Ghana and America, now and in the coming years, will continue to “advance our mutual causes, and also strengthen the relations between our two countries”.

Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand