Accra, July 07, GNA – The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) has held a two-day vaccine hesitancy workshop in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, to sensitise residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
The workshop, organised with funding support from the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), was also used to mobilise people for the vaccination.
CHAG is also the Principal Recipient of the Global Fund (NFM III) responsible for Community Systems Strengthening.
Mr Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, President of GHANET, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said recent news reports showed the resurgence of COVID-19 in the country, a situation that called for a step up of efforts to get the public vaccinated.
“Until we reach herd immunity and beyond, neither of us is safe. We don’t know what form the next wave would take and that is why we need to take the issue of vaccination more seriously,” he said.
In a goodwill message on behalf of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Madam Olivia Graham, Technical Coordinator of the Commission, Ashanti Region, congratulated GHANET for the initiative to join the fight against COVID-19.
She said COVID-19 highly impacted people living with HIV (PLHIV), hence the need for organisations working in the HIV and AIDS sector to show a lot of interest in vaccination.
Madam Graham recalled the partnership between GHANET and GAC and how it helped to reduce HIV prevalence in the 2000s.
The Commission, she said, was ready to work with all civil society organisations committed to supporting the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (NSP 2021 -2025).
Mr Christaller Abinefas Ofori, Project Coordinator of COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM), speaking on behalf of CHAG, said the training was part of efforts of the Global Fund to protect their investments in three diseases – HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
During the heat of the pandemic, he said, the Global Fund realised that if nothing was done about the situation, all the gains made in fighting the three diseases could be eroded, hence the introduction of the C19RM.
Other speakers at the sensitisation programme were the Ashanti Regional Chairman of GHANET, Mr Ebenezer Teitey Sackey, and national executives of the Network, Madam Victoria Araba Dennis,Vice-President, Mr Andrew Yilob, Secretary, Mr Louis Acheampong, Treasurer and Mr Patrick Anamoo, Public Relations Officer.
Source: Ghana News Agency
