President Akufo-Addo receiving a gift from Shekhar Meehta (2nd left), President 2021-2022 Rotary International and his spouse at the Jubilee House
President of Rotary International, Shekhar Meehta, yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo.
At a meeting at the Jubilee House, he indicated the organisation’s readiness to assist in Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Rotary International is credited for its successful distribution of Polio vaccinations which aided the eradication of the disease from most parts of the world, with the exception of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mr. Meetha, who is on a two-day working visit to Ghana, said the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic can only be won if the entire world gets vaccinated.
It is for this reason he said based on the experience of Rotary International with Polio vaccinations in the world, it is best placed to help countries the world over address the issue of vaccine hesitancy among their populations.
“Currently Rotary is working a lot on COVID issues and we are here to offer our help if there is any way Rotary can help the government here in the vaccination process,” he noted.
President Akufo-Addo welcomed the decision by Rotary to assist the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, describing their effort as appropriate.
He, however, expressed concern about the seeming artificial shortage of the vaccines created by certain forces.
“Recently there has been a short worldwide. Some people have hoarded a lot and others don’t have it and that is the drama which we are living, but we are beginning to find our way out of it and increasingly the supply situation is getting better. I think that to have your voice in it for the equity and for even distribution of vaccines around the world, that would also be a major contribution that you can make,” he said.
The President said “we are one of those who have been waiting for the serum to begin to export vaccines. We were hoping that by now, we would have had a substantial amount of vaccines. We want to vaccinate 20 million people in Ghana by the end of this year.”
Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris.
The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on February 23, 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service. Members have a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities and around the world.
“Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves,” the Rotary International founder, Paul Harris, is quoted to have said.
Rotary’s ongoing commitment endures today through an organisation that remains truly international. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Its members now span the globe, working to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu