The United States Government is to donate 1.3 million Pfizer vaccines to Ghana to aid the national plan to inoculate 20 million Ghanaians by the end of the year.

The gesture would add to the 1.2 million Moderna shots received by Ghana from the United States on September 4, 2021.

US Vice President Kamala Harris made this known when she held bilateral talks with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the White House, Washington DC, on Thursday to firm the ties of cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing a press conference prior to the close-door meeting, Vice President Kamala Harris said Ghana and the United States shared a commitment to global health and minimising the effects of COVID-19.

“None of us have been immune from the ravages of the pandemic. We recognise our shared responsibility to collaborate, to share resources, not only to continue to address the effects of COVID-19, but also to prepare for the next pandemics,” she said.

“The United States is proud to be a member of COVAX and the African Union, and has donated more than 1.2 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Ghana. I am proud to announce that, shortly, we will send 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.”

Welcoming President Akufo-Addo to the White House, Mrs Harris said the meeting with the Ghanaian President “is a reaffirmation of the strength of the relationship between the United States and Ghana, and of course the deep historical ties or official bilateral relationship, which began in 1957.”

Vice President Harris commended President Akufo-Addo for his sterling management of Ghana’s economy, saying: “American companies continue to ramp up in Ghana, understanding the significance of the work that they do there to America’s economy…..”

“And they do this also because we are confident in the Government of Ghana and the environment, Mr. President, that you have created, which allows for some confidence in the respect and upholding of the rule of law and human rights. And so, with all of that, we look forward to continue to work together.”

President Akufo-Addo, on his part, thanked Vice President Harris for the invitation and said Ghana and the United States shared the same commitments.

“We want to develop our nation as a democracy, as a country where freedom and respect for human rights and the rule of law are paramount to our system of governance,” he said.

The President expressed gratitude for the support of the United States towards helping to defeat the pandemic in Ghana.

He said Ghana needed the support of the United States to tackle and defeat the Jihadist insurgency in the Sahel.

“We are looking for support for our armed forces and for the intelligence agencies of our area that they can be in stronger positions,” he said.

“Many of those leading the Jihadist insurrections in West Africa are the people who came from Iraq after they were driven out from Iraq, so I think we need information here that can assist us to be able to track down and be able to deal with these people.”

President Akufo-Addo was hopeful that Ghana and America would continue to advance their mutual causes, and also strengthen the relations between the two countries.