The Public Health Alliance International Ghana (PHAIG) has launched its Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy & vaccine mandate research findings with a call on stakeholders/Government to push for a Vaccine mandate Policy.

The research according to the organization showed that an estimated 6 out of 7 Ghanaians believe that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective and 75% of the respondents would subscribe to the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate policy.

The findings also showed that the most hesitant groups were men, non-health workers, people with low education, and non-believers of vaccine efficacy.

Dr. Prince Samuel Nuamah, Vice President of PHAIG who presented the report was therefore optimistic a vaccine mandate Policy when implemented will be effective in our quest to find a lasting solution to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over the past three years, the entire global community has been grappling with the many issues regarding COVID-19 and as such information and research on the virus are rapidly evolving. PHAIG, an independent not-for-profit Health Think Tank was also formed to as part of its activities embark on more localized research on Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy & vaccine mandate.

The launch of the research findings was held in Accra under the theme: ‘Vaccine hesitancy, the current state of affairs and disposition of Ghanaians towards vaccine mandate’ and brought together stakeholders in the health sector and the business community. Notable among them were: Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Senior Public Health Physician Specialist, Ghana Health Service, Mr. Cyril Opon, Ghana Oil Company Limited and Dr. Horlali Yao Gudjinu from the Ghana Health Service. Also present was Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority and Mr. Ibrahim Isa Kaita, a representative from the Nigerian High Commission. Chairperson was Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Markwei, General Overseer, Living streams International.

Dr. Prince Samuel Nuamah later shared PHAIG’s upcoming projects some of which are on childhood burns and its prevention, alcohol use and workplace productivity among others, and called on interested organizations for potential collaborations and strategic partnerships. He also seized the opportunity to appeal for more funding from corporate entities/individuals to boost their research.

The Guest Speaker, Dr. Amponsa-Achiano, reported as positive the incredible milestones attained by Ghana and the rest of the sub-Saharan African continent on the drive towards vaccination and vaccine acceptance. He however admitted the need for more concerted efforts to achieve projected expectations regarding vaccine coverage and acceptance.

During his remarks, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority commended the interest shown by all present in the engagements at the launch and admitted to the complex nature of a vaccine mandate but said that discussions on the potential for a vaccine mandate policy was a step in the right direction.

Mr. Ibrahim Isa Keita from the Nigerian High Commission first commended the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service for being pacesetters in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He advocated that the research and its findings should not be localized within Ghana but rather be seen as the beginning of a bigger discussion on the need for strategic partnerships between Ghana and other countries on the continent. He pledged his support for such initiative and looked forward to further engagements with PHAIG.

The Chairperson, Rev. Dr. Markwei, commended PHAIG for such a great initiative and the revealing findings that were shared with the attendees at the event. He however admitted that such research usually calls for lots of funding if it is to be done on a larger scale and therefore the need for relevant stakeholders’ buy-in including the media and established organizations to ensure the conduct of more of such research.

About PHAIG

Public Health Alliance International Ghana (PHAIG) is an independent not-for-profit Health Think Tank that seeks to address the many issues of health in Ghana and throughout the Sub-Sahara African region through evidence-based research, health policy analysis and stakeholder engagements.