Attachments
Highlights
The Government of Ghana made a significant shift in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, declaring December ‘Vaccination Month’. Increased efforts included making more vaccine facilities more readily available and tighter measures at Kotoka International Airport. As of 31st December, the total number of doses administered were 8,379,7768.
On 14th December, H.E. President Nana Akufo-Addo announced that all international travellers should be fully vaccinated. The President also announced that the European Investment Bank approved EUR 82.5 million Euros for a facility to strengthen healthcare delivery, including through the establishment of a National Vaccine Institute.
In December 2021, COVAX partners continued to send COVID-19 vaccine doses to Ghana. Donations were made by Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, United Kingdom and United States, making a combined total of 4,684,380 doses.
UNICEF and WHO continued to support the Government in containing the yellow fever outbreak.
In cooperation with the UN Country Team in Ghana and partners, UNICEF continues to work with the Government across sectors to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other critical humanitarian risks, reaching the most vulnerable children and adolescents.
Situation in Numbers
31 million people at risk of COVID-19 (total population)
2.4 million people
1.4 million children To be reached in the response
147,203 confirmed cases
13025 active cases
132 869 recoveries
1,228 1309 deaths
16 regions (all regions)
1.4 million children accessing education services
Analysis of Programme Response
Health & Nutrition
UNICEF supported the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and its partners to conduct a reactive yellow fever vaccination campaign from 17th to 21st December 2021, following a yellow fever outbreak in Savanna region. Nineteen selected districts in seven regions were involved in the campaign, which targeted 644,798 persons between 9 months to 60 years.
Through the support of the Government of Canada, 2400 Samsung tablets were procured this month for community health nurses in the Ashanti Region, who were trained on the tablets’ use. This is part of a new integrated community health information E-Tracker system to speed up and improve decision making in maternal, new-born and child health programmes in the Region as part of COVID-19 Response.
COVID-19 vaccination intensified throughout the country. As of 3rd January 2022, a total 8,872,253 doses had been administered (33% at least 1 dose; 14% full doses). December 2021 was declared COVID-19 vaccination month. This saw a significant increase in the number of doses administered by 3,316,043 doses between 1st Dec 2021 and 1st January 2022. In December, Ghane received vaccines from the US, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Estonia and Luxembourg.
As part of the response to COVID-19, UNICEF supported the GHS to build the capacity of 42 Health Workers on management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the Ashanti Region. The trained health workers will in turn conduct downstream training in all districts across the region. Additionally, using funding from the Government of Japan, UNICEF supported the GoG in scaling up the use of the Mother Child Health Record Book (MCHRB) in 80 districts. Training of trainers (TOT) were held for 48 Health Workers, who are now undertaking trainings in their respective districts. To assess the quality of services provided using the MCHB, UNICEF facilitated and provided technical support to GHS to undertake exit interviews in eight regions. Data analysis is being undertaken and results will be available during Q1 in 2022.
With support from China, a total of 1,490 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) were admitted for treatment. In addition, over 6,082 women and 31,906 adolescent girls benefited from Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) tablets. To ensure the sustainability of management of severe malnutrition, UNICEF supported the Government to cost the requirements for 2022, and advocated for Nutrition Match Fund. Moreover, UNICEF and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) initiated the process to ensure that the management of SAM is a reimbursable service in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) service package.