Ghana has since May 2020 received 25 million euros worth of Covid-19 relief package from the Federal Republic of Germany.The German Ambassador to Ghana, Christoph Retzlaff, said his government also advanced credit lines through a cooperation with Stanbic Bank to SMEs with over 120 of them benefiting from the package. Even as Ghana is expected to receive the first batch of vaccines in the months ahead, Christoph Retzlaff hints that the country is on the priority list of allies being supported by the German government.“We were able to put together quite a substantial Covid-19 relief package for Ghana since April 2020 with a volume of 25 million euros, and we entered into a cooperation with Stanbic Bank to give credit lines to SMEs to safeguard 12,000 jobs in the country,” he told Joy Business Charles Ayitey. According to Mr. Retzlaff, the priority is to help Ghana cope and come out of the economic and social challenges regarding Covid.The latest update on the UN-led COVAX Facility, of which Ghana is a participant has revealed that the country is earmarked to take delivery of 2.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which is licensed to the Serum Institute of India (AZ/SII).Ghana is among 145 counties listed to receive vaccines from a number of suppliers through the COVAX Facility, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).Per the announcement, “… delivery is estimated to begin in late February, subject to WHO EUL, manufacturing supply capacity and completion of pre-requisites…”According to the facility’s interim distribution document on February 3, 2021, the vaccine is expected to be administered to persons in key sectors such as health workers in the first quarter.“This is in line with the facility’s target to reach at least 3% population coverage in all countries in the first half of the year, enough to protect the most vulnerable groups such as healthcare workers,” the statement said.
