The Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation of the Ghana Health Service has said that the country needs about $51,662,276.16 to implement the National Vaccine Deployment Plan (NVDP) for Covid-19.

Dr Kwame Amponsah-Achiano was speaking at a webinar organized by the Centre for Social Justice on Thursday under the topic, Covid-19 Vaccines in Ghana, Availability, the Science and the Myths.

According to him, the amount represents the total operational cost of rolling out the vaccine to approximately 20 million Ghanaians at $3 per person.

Operational costs include coordination, communication, logistics and waste management, training and service delivery, data management, monitoring and evaluation, disease surveillance and operational research.

The National Vaccine Deployment Plan is part of the wider national pandemic control plan.

Dr Amponsah-Achiano further revealed that vaccinations are expected to commence two weeks earlier than originally proposed and would likely begin in the middle of March, through to August.

He said that the vaccines are additional preventative measures being undertaken by government which will reduce illness and death, minimize the disruption in social and economic functions and facilitate engagement between Ghana and the global community.

The vaccination exercise will require the training and deployment of 12,471 vaccinators, 37,413 volunteers and 2,079 team supervisors.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Centre for Social Justice Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey said that the webinar was organised by the centre to satisfy the need for credible information on Ghana’s strategy towards managing the pandemic.