Shortage of vaccines will be resolved in three weeks – Ghana Health Service

The Ghana Health Service has indicated that bottlenecks with the supply of vaccines in the country will be smoothened out in the next three weeks.

Speaking to Ultimate News, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Kumah Aboagye disclosed that his outfit was unable to procure BCG, Measles and Polio Vaccines because of the exchange rate pressures that drove the dollar-rated vaccines through the roof.

“We have had some delays in procuring Polio, MR and BCG. It is because the ministry’s budget to procure them are in cedis and at the time it was due for procurement; it was difficult to procure because of the exchange rate differences. Now we have done it and within the next three weeks we are sure to address it,” he explained.

He pointed out that Ghana is also working with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to have all obligations to Ghana settled for the release of more vaccines.

“We have two types of vaccines. The traditional ones that the nation buys and the ones we get in collaboration with GAVI where government pays part of it,” he noted.

Dr Kumah Aboagye added that the Health Service will roll out a catch-up program to ensure that all children who defaulted in their vaccinations take the full complement of their shots.

He told reporter Ivan Heathcote – Fumador, “in the next three weeks we will have these issues resolved and we will do a quick catch-up vaccination for the kids who have had a delay in taking their dosage.”

Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye gave the update on the sideline of an academic health confab held at the Christian Service University College in Kumasi.

The Conference which brings together an array of health professionals, the Ghana Health Service, and health researchers was convened to discuss and explore different perspectives on increasing challenges in Ghana’s ever-expanding health sector.

Various health and research experts in diverse disciplines at the conference are expected to make input into the social, economic, financial, environmental, and religious perspectives that can augment the government's efforts at building a resilient health system.