Ghana receives 6L doses of made-in-India COVID vaccines under 'Vaccine Maitri' programme

In an effort to further boost its vaccine diplomacy, India has sent six lakh doses of domestically produced COVID-19 vaccines to Ghana. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took to Twittter on February 24 and confirmed that the western African nation had already received the jabs produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) and was ready to begin its mass inoculation. 

Read: India Dispatches First Batch Of Six Lakh COVID Vaccine Doses To Ghana

Read: Ghana Is First Nation In World To Receive COVAX Vaccines

He also shared photographs showing stocks of Covashield vaccines at a Ghanaian airport. All the vaccines received by Ghana are free of cost as the country received them under WHO’s COVAX programme. Co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the WHO, the Covax programme aims to expedite vaccine distribution in 92 low and middle-income nations and also support manufacturing capacities so that two billion doses could be freely distributed before the end of this year.

Vaccine Maitri

Meanwhile, India has won global praise for its ‘Vaccine Maitri’  programme which aims to aid poor countries amidst the global pandemic. As of now, the country has gifted domestically produced vaccines—Covaxin and Covishield—to over 20 countries, including those in the Caribbean and the Middle East. Earlier, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denominated the vaccine production capacity of India as the "best asset" that the world has today while calling for India to play a major role in the global vaccination campaign. 

Read: India Sends Domestically Produced Vaccines To Serbia: 'Buttressing Our Bond With Belgrade'

Read: Ghana Becomes World's First Country To Receive Free Doses Of Made In India COVAX Vaccines

Ghana's vaccination campaign

Ghana's vaccination campaign will begin from March 2 and will be conducted in phases among prioritized groups, beginning with health workers, adults of 60 years and over, people with underlying health conditions, frontline executive, legislature, judiciary, and their related staff. “The government of Ghana remains resolute at ensuring the welfare of all Ghanaians and is making frantic efforts to acquire adequate vaccines to cover the entire population through bilateral and multilateral agencies,” the country's acting Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told the Associated Press.