Ghanaians in the United States of America have expressed appreciation to the US Government for their support towards combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Ghana.
They were happy that the US emerged as the largest contributor to COVAX, the global initiative to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines of which Ghana was the first of millions to receive the doses this year.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was invited by the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and to participate in the Gavi COVAX AMC One World Protected Launch Event.
Speaking to some Ghanaian residents in New York, Georgia, and New Jersey, they praised the US Government for the valuable support to developing and middle-income countries.
Two residents in Bronx, Yahuza Alhassan and Kwabena Richard, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that an infectious disease outbreak anywhere was a threat to people everywhere and that the pandemic was one of the most pressing challenges to the health, well-being, and economic security of our time.
Mr. Richard said the US investments in COVAX support were critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants, and helping to restart the global economy.
Mr. Yussif Abdul Basit, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, said the US was committed to collaborating with partners, governments, and the private sector to support global COVID-19 vaccination efforts and to ensure COVAX’s success.
The US has worked closely with Ghana since the start of the pandemic, and has contributed more than $23.6 million to aid the COVID-19 response in Ghana, in addition to its contributions of over $2billion to COVAX.
Mr. Abdul Ganiyu Husseini of the Masjid Bilal Inc., Jersey City, New Jersey, said the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported Ghana’s Ministry of Health to train health workers in COVID-19 critical care and to disseminate social and behaviour change messages to increase knowledge and awareness around COVID-19, including increasing the number of people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine and deliver life-saving supplies and commodities across the country.
By Amadu Kamil Sanah, GNA Special Correspondent in New York, USA