President Akufo-Addo has recommended that the nation keeps some of the measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and integrate them into their everyday lives.
According to him, these Covid-19 measures “have served us well and will continue to serve us well.”
In his 29th update which was to give updates Ghana’s enhanced response to the coronavirus pandemic and the IMF programme, the president advocated for a continuous hand washing and the keeping of other personal hygiene measures.
“I urge you all to continue with the regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures, so they become entrenched national habits,” he said.
Meanwhile, he believes the low recording of diarrhea diseases and the elimination of cholera for the past three years in the Ghana can be attributed mostly to the hand washing and improved hygiene routine in communities.
In his televised address Sunday night, (May 28, 2023), President Akufo Addo declared an end to the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana.
The President ascribed this to the pandemic trend in Ghana similar to the general global trend as announced by WHO.
On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared with great hope an end to the Covid-19 pandemic as a public health emergency, stressing that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat.
As at 15th May, 2023, there have been one thousand, four hundred and sixty-two (1,462) deaths attributable to Covid-19 in Ghana, with the last death being recorded on 8th January, 2023.
President Akufo-Addo note that ‘these are not mere figures, or inconvenient statistics, they are dearly loved parents, sons and daughters, relations, friends and colleagues whom we shall continue to miss dearly. May their souls rest in perfect peace. I am glad to report that, currently, we do not have any critical or severe cases.”
In order to protect Ghanaians and all residing in Ghana from contracting the virus, a Covid vaccination campaign was started in March 2021 and, as at 25th May 2023, twenty-five million, one hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and eighty-two (25,170,382) vaccine doses have been administered.
With regards to people who are fully vaccinated in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo noted that they number ten million, five hundred and thirty-six thousand four hundred and twenty (10,536,420), that is, 52.7% out of the twenty million (20 million) people target that was set, with four million, five hundred and ninety-nine thousand, eight hundred and eighty-three (4,599,883) persons having received booster doses.
But Ghana has begun the process of manufacturing its own vaccines with the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute.
According to the President, “The painful lesson from the pandemic about the access to vaccines certainly concentrated our minds, and we must be proud that we did not bow our heads in defeat, but used the crisis to achieve such a positive outcome.”
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“We now have in place a Vaccine Institute and two Vaccine Manufacturing plants: I commissioned that of Atlantic Life Sciences Limited last year, and a few weeks ago, I performed the sod-cutting ceremony of that of DEK Vaccines Ltd,” he added.
Speaking about Ghana’s markets, he expressed his hope of the country being able to have rodent free markets.
He is of the view that this can be achieved when the periodic cleansing, disinfection and fumigation of markets is continued and institutionalized.
“I hope there will be no argument that we should continue and institutionalize the periodic cleansing, disinfection and fumigation of markets?” he questioned adding that “Never again should our markets be breeding grounds for rodents.”
Rounding up his speech on Ghana’s enhanced response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, President Akufo-Addo indicated that “It is likely, God willing, that this will be the last in the series of ‘Fellow Ghanaians’ speeches on COVID.”
Source: Rosemond Asmah /ATLFMNEWS
