The Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a Non- Governmental Organisation, has underscored the need for a deliberate effort to target vulnerable groups in the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The Ghana Health Service in collaboration with its development partners would from December 14 to 18, December embark on a national campaign to encourage Ghanaians to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 on the theme, “protect yourself, protect your family, get vaccinated against COVID-19”.

In a statement, signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga by Mr Ahmed Awal Kariama, Executive Director, RISE-Ghana, said all stakeholders needed to work to demystify all misconceptions creating hesitancy and encourage minority groups to be vaccinated to boost their immunity against the virus and help defeat it.

“We urge Ghanaian media, Civil Society Organization (CSOs), the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to deliberately seek out and advocate for the targeting of minor, migrant, hard-to-reach, vaccine hesitant populations and especially immigrants fleeing terrorist attacks and taking refuge in parts of the Upper East and Upper West Regions to ensure targets on herd immunity, protecting lives and livelihoods and advancing the SDGs were met.” It said.

According to the statement as of December 9, this year, there were 643,875,406 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,630,082 deaths were reported globally by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“Currently, more than nine million people in Africa have contracted the COVID-19 virus”. It said.

“In Ghana, from January 3, 2020 to December 9, 2022, there have been 171,023 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,461 deaths, reported to WHO and as of 27 November, 2022, a total of 20,869,800 vaccine doses have been administered,” it added.

The statement said the campaign was timely and had huge potential to rally around communities and strengthen vaccine confidence and accountability at the individual and family levels.

“Building on RISE-Ghana’s extensive experience in health systems strengthening, health promotion and maternal advocacy in partnership with UNICEF-Ghana’s Social and Behavior Change (SBC) and Health Sections and the Gender Rights and Empowerment Programme led by the STAR Ghana foundation with funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, RISE-Ghana commended the Ghana Health Service and its Partners notably UNICEF-Ghana for the innovative and compelling vaccination campaigns over the years which ensured every family and every child was reached.

“Even though Ghana has an enviable record in essential vaccines immunization coverage of 90 percent, current skeptism, denial and threats of rejection of COVID-19 vaccines are rife and will derail efforts to SUSTAIN the gains from herd immunity,” It stated.

“We must act decisively and urgently to end COVID-19 and get back our normal lives, it starts with you,” it added.