Ghana has become the first country to receive coronavirus vaccines through the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative.
A total of 600,000 doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and produced by the Serum Institute of India arrived in Ghana’s capital Accra on Wednesday.
Vaccinations are expected to start there next week, with prioritised groups such as health workers, people over 60, people with underlying health conditions, and senior officials.
In a joint statement, the WHO and the United Nations children’s fund (UNICEF) said it was a momentous occasion and “critical in bringing the pandemic to an end”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) programme aims to ensure that vaccines are shared fairly among all nations.
Covax is aiming to deliver about two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines globally by the end of the year.
Many rich nations, who began their own vaccinations months ago, have faced criticism for buying or ordering more vaccines than they need.
BBC