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Don’t let your guard down, COVID-19 still prevalent – Dr Amponsa-Achiano
● Dr Amponsa-Achiano speaking to the media
The Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, has called on the public not to let their guards down as COVID-19 is still prevalent and dangerous.
Consequently, he urged those who have not taken the COVID-19 vaccine to do so to protect themselves from the life-threatening disease.
“Currently about 45 per cent of the population had been vaccinated and we need more people to come out and take the vaccine because COVID-19 is not gone,” he stated.
He made the remarks at BudgIT Ghana’s COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) forum held in Accra on Friday.
BudgIT Ghana is a civil organisation focused on citizen and institutional engagements to facilitate societal change.
The CTAP initiative, sought to bring together stakeholders in the health sector to dialogue on vaccine equity, distribution and accountability following studies conducted by the outfit on the subject.
According to Dr Amponsa-Achiano, the meeting would go a long way to ensure that majority of the population were vaccinated.
“For now, 14.2 million persons had taken at least a single dose of the vaccine, though our target is 18.6 million of eligible persons,” he stated.
He added that, 11.1 million people had also been fully vaccinated and urged those who took only a single dose to complete the dosage required.
“As far as we are concerned, we had gone far though we are yet to achieve our target. The challenge is that people think COVID-19 is gone. There are also people who are just not bothered, while misinformation about the vaccine is also a challenging factor,” he stressed.
“We are trying to make COVID-19 vaccine a routine one so that people can walk into health centres and take it just like a child’s vaccination is done. We would also continue to engage the public,” he said.
The Country Manager for BudgIT Ghana, Mr Felix Ankrah added that it was essential to ensure accountability as far as vaccine distribution was concerned.
“We would continue to work with stakeholders to ensure an even distribution of vaccines across the country,” he stated.
The issue of vaccine shortage, he said, would be a thing of the past if the government and other stakeholders worked together.
CTAP Project Lead for BudgIT Ghana, Jennifer Moffat explained that, they were also committed to setting the agenda for robust primary healthcare in Ghana.
By Michael D. Abayateye
News
Ghana achieves 98% participation in Eurobond debt restructuring
The Ministry of Finance has announced the successful completion of its Eurobond debt exchange and consent solicitation process.
The initiative, which aims to restructure Ghana’s Eurobond debt, has received overwhelming support from bondholders, marking a significant milestone in the country’s economic recovery efforts.
Launched on September 5, 2024, the offer invited eligible holders of Ghana’s Eurobonds to exchange their existing bonds for new ones under two menu options—Par and Disco.
As of the final expiration deadline on September 30, 2024, 98.6% of bondholders, representing the recognized principal amount of the existing bonds, participated in the offer.
During the bondholder meetings on Thursday, October 3, holders of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 WB-Guaranteed Notes passed extraordinary resolutions with over 90% representation, enabling the restructuring process to proceed smoothly.
Meanwhile, for Aggregated CAC Notes, consents exceeded 98.7%, meeting the required thresholds for the exchange.
A majority of bondholders (91% of the principal amount) opted for the Disco menu of new notes, while 7.6% chose the Par menu, which remained under its cap of U.S. $1.6 billion, leaving a balance of U.S. $605 million available for future allocation.
Subject to the terms of the exchange, a total of U.S. $126 million in consent fees will be distributed to eligible bondholders who submitted their instructions by the early consent deadline.
The new bonds are expected to be issued on or around October 9, 2024, with full settlement to follow shortly thereafter.
The successful completion of this exchange is a critical step in Ghana’s broader debt restructuring efforts under its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, further strengthening the country’s path towards debt sustainability and normalizing relations with international capital markets.
The Government of Ghana expressed gratitude to bondholders for their participation and support, emphasizing that this successful outcome reflects a shared commitment to restoring the country’s economic stability.
In preparation for the issue date, all existing Eurobonds, including those for which no consent or exchange instructions were given, will be blocked from trading to ensure a smooth final settlement.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
News
Update on Nana Asante Bediatuo’s health
The Office of the President has responded to news making rounds regarding the health of Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo.
According to the office in a statement, they wish to inform the public about the health status of Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President.
They revealed that following the conclusion of the meeting of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, in the United States of America, where he served as a key member of President Akufo-Addo’s delegation.
The statement added that Nana Bediatuo Asante stayed behind to conduct further government business.
They added that he then began to feel unwell, and was subsequently admitted to hospital.
According to the statement, he is currently in stable condition and responding well to treatment. The medical team added that, Nana Bediatuo Asante’s recovery is on track, and we remain hopeful for his swift return to full strength.
“We ask for continued prayers and support for him and his family during this difficult period. Further updates will be provided when necessary,” he concluded.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
