World

Ghana receives world's first doses of free Covax vaccines

Covax was launched to help ensure fair global distribution of the coronavirus vaccine

AFP

February 24, 2021

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Ghana received the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from the Covax scheme on Wednesday, a global scheme to procure and distribute inoculations free.

Covax, launched last April to help ensure a fairer distribution of coronavirus vaccines between rich and poor nations, said it would deliver two billion doses to its members by the end of the year.

"We are pleased that Ghana has become the first country to receive the Covid-19 vaccines from the Covax facility," Unicef, which organised the shipment from Mumbai, said in a joint statement with the World Health Organisation – both of whom are Covax backers.

Employees pack vials of Covid19 vaccines at the packing department in Pune, India. The first Covax vaccines arrived in Ghana on February 24. Image courtesy Unicef
Employees pack vials of Covid19 vaccines at the packing department in Pune, India. The first Covax vaccines arrived in Ghana on February 24. Image courtesy Unicef

It said the 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed by the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, are part of an initial tranche of deliveries "headed to several low and middle-income countries".

The Emirates flight carrying the vaccines touched down at Accra's Kotoka International Airport shortly after 0740 GMT, in images broadcast on television.

Covax said it aimed to deliver 2,412,000 doses of the vaccine to Ghana.

The country's food and drug authority authorised the use of the vaccines made in India as well as the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, local media reported.

The West African nation has recorded 80,759 Covid-19 cases and 582 deaths since the start of the pandemic. These figures are believed to fall short of the real toll because the number of tests is low.

Health workers and other frontline staff are meant to be among the first to receive doses.

"In the days ahead, frontline workers will begin to receive vaccines," Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore said.

"The next phase in the fight against this disease can begin – the ramping up of the largest immunisation campaign in history."

Covax, led by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, had anticipated a first round of deliveries to take place in March, with some early shipments occurring in late February.

An Emirates plane carrying the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative arrives at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
An Emirates plane carrying the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative arrives at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
Airport workers prepare to unload a batch of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative at the airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
Airport workers prepare to unload a batch of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative at the airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
Staff unload a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from an Emirates plane at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
Staff unload a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from an Emirates plane at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
Staff unload a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from an Emirates plane in Accra, Ghana. The vaccines were distributed by the Covax initiative. Unicef
Staff unload a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from an Emirates plane in Accra, Ghana. The vaccines were distributed by the Covax initiative. Unicef
A shipment of Covid-19 vaccines is removed from the plane at the airport in Accra. Ghana received the first shipment of Covid doses from the Covax initiative on Wednesday. Unicef
A shipment of Covid-19 vaccines is removed from the plane at the airport in Accra. Ghana received the first shipment of Covid doses from the Covax initiative on Wednesday. Unicef
Workers unload boxes of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines at the airport in Accra, Ghana. Reuters
Workers unload boxes of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines at the airport in Accra, Ghana. Reuters
Staff unload a batch of Covid-19 doses from the Covax initiative in Accra, Ghana. The Emirates flight carrying the vaccines landed at 0740 GMT on Wednesday. Unicef
Staff unload a batch of Covid-19 doses from the Covax initiative in Accra, Ghana. The Emirates flight carrying the vaccines landed at 0740 GMT on Wednesday. Unicef
Staff unload the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative at airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
Staff unload the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative at airport in Accra, Ghana. Unicef
A Unicef worker inspects the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative at the airport in Accra, Ghana's capital. Unicef
A Unicef worker inspects the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Covax initiative at the airport in Accra, Ghana's capital. Unicef
Airport staff unload the first shipment of Covid-19 doses from the Covax initiative at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Unicef
Airport staff unload the first shipment of Covid-19 doses from the Covax initiative at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Unicef
Airport staff unload the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Unicef
Airport staff unload the first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Unicef
Boxes of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana's capital. Reuters
Boxes of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana's capital. Reuters
A batch of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines is transported at the airport in Accra. Covax aims to deliver 2.4 million doses to Ghana. Reuters
A batch of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines is transported at the airport in Accra. Covax aims to deliver 2.4 million doses to Ghana. Reuters
Unicef's representative to Ghana Anne-Claire Dufay, left, with government officials at the airport in Accra during the hand-over of a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines. AFP
Unicef's representative to Ghana Anne-Claire Dufay, left, with government officials at the airport in Accra during the hand-over of a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines. AFP
An Emirates logo is seen next to a Covax tag on a batch of Covid-19 vaccines at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. AFP
An Emirates logo is seen next to a Covax tag on a batch of Covid-19 vaccines at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. AFP

The African continent, relatively spared by the pandemic, was the last bar Oceania to reach the threshold of 100,000 deaths, which Europe crossed in April 2020.

At the height of the pandemic in January, Africa had 906 deaths per day.

To help speed up immunisation of the continent's 1.3 billion people, the African Union said it had secured 270 million doses of anti-Covid vaccines for delivery this year.

The WHO on Monday criticised wealthy countries for hogging Covid vaccines and hindering the pathway for poorer nations to get them too.

A shipment of the Sinovac vaccine is unloaded from a Thai airways flight at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand. AP
A shipment of the Sinovac vaccine is unloaded from a Thai airways flight at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand. AP
People eat at a restaurant, in a neighbourhood among those that have seen some of the highest number of city Covid-19 deaths, in the Queens borough of New York City. AFP
People eat at a restaurant, in a neighbourhood among those that have seen some of the highest number of city Covid-19 deaths, in the Queens borough of New York City. AFP
From left: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, with members of Congress observe a moment of silence during an event held at Capitol Hill to honour the 500,000 people in the US who have died from Covid-19.
From left: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, with members of Congress observe a moment of silence during an event held at Capitol Hill to honour the 500,000 people in the US who have died from Covid-19.
Chairs are stacked near the windows of a classroom ahead of in-person learning at the Jefferson-Houston School in Alexandria, Virginia. Reuters
Chairs are stacked near the windows of a classroom ahead of in-person learning at the Jefferson-Houston School in Alexandria, Virginia. Reuters
A woman walks through a disinfection booth while entering a town village in Pasay City, south of Manila, Philippines. EPA
A woman walks through a disinfection booth while entering a town village in Pasay City, south of Manila, Philippines. EPA
Health personnel transport a patient infected with the coronavirus to the General Hospital of the Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. EPA
Health personnel transport a patient infected with the coronavirus to the General Hospital of the Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. EPA
A doctor looks at the X-rays of a patient's lungs at the central hospital in Kolomyia, western Ukraine. AP
A doctor looks at the X-rays of a patient's lungs at the central hospital in Kolomyia, western Ukraine. AP
A medical worker takes a nasal sample from a soldier at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul, South Korea. AP
A medical worker takes a nasal sample from a soldier at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul, South Korea. AP
People walk past a temporarily closed branch of a sandwich shop in London's financial district during England's third coronavirus lockdown. AP
People walk past a temporarily closed branch of a sandwich shop in London's financial district during England's third coronavirus lockdown. AP
A worker sprays disinfectant inside a school bus in Yongchuan, in central China's Hunan province. AFP
A worker sprays disinfectant inside a school bus in Yongchuan, in central China's Hunan province. AFP
A woman and her child feed pigeons in Bogota, Colombia. AFP
A woman and her child feed pigeons in Bogota, Colombia. AFP
Riot police are seen during a demonstration by workers of bars and restaurants against the restrictions set by the Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez in Bogota, Colombia. AFP
Riot police are seen during a demonstration by workers of bars and restaurants against the restrictions set by the Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez in Bogota, Colombia. AFP

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said some rich countries' direct deals with manufacturers had meant that previously agreed vaccine allocations for poorer countries, via the Covax programme, were being reduced.

About 145 participating economies are scheduled to receive 337.2 million doses – enough to vaccinate a little over 3 per cent of their combined populations.

Covax said it hopes to raise that proportion to about 27 per cent in lower-income countries by the end of December.

New variants of the virus, including in neighbouring Nigeria, are spreading across the continent with the UK and South African variants recorded in Ghana.

"It is strongly recommended for countries to use the AstraZeneca vaccine even if the ... new variants are present," the WHO said last week.

In Ghana, schools reopened in January after a 10-month closure, but large social gatherings are banned and land and sea borders have been closed since March 2020.

Ghana's economic growth is expected to plummet this year to its lowest in three decades, 0.9 per cent, according to the International Monetary Fund, from 6.5 per cent in 2019.

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The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures

Tuesday, October 29

Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE

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Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one

Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two

Thursday, October 31

Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four

Friday, November 1

Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one

Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two

Saturday, November 2

Third-place playoff, 2.10pm

Final, 7.30pm

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The team

Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory 
Videographer: Jear Valasquez 
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory 
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat 
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova 
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi 

 
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All matches in Bulawayo
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Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
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Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

MATCH INFO

Day 2 at Mount Maunganui

England 353

Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88

New Zealand 144-4

Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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