-US$10 Per COVID-19 Vaccine One of the Highest globally
IMANI Ghana’s Vice President in charge of Research, Bright Simons, is asking for an explanation as to why Ghana has the most expensive cost-per-dose for COVID-19 vaccines in the world.
Reacting to the announcement by a former Deputy Minister of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen’s that Ghana will be paying US$10 per dose for the vaccines, Mr. Simons wondered why the West African country is paying almost five times more than European countries are paying for the same vaccine.
Mr. Bright Simons in a write-up also pointed out that Ghana’s US$10 per dose is higher than what other sister African countries are paying.
“My brother Charles Adu-Boahen says on Good Evening Ghana, that Ghana will be budgeting $10 per dose of covid-19 vaccines. Okay. Kenya is paying $3 per dose for its vaccines (with an additional $0.07 planned for logistics). South Africa paid $5.25. Most EU countries are paying around $2.16 (but because of volume & bargaining power issues there, let’s discount). Why is Ghana budgeting $10 per dose?” Simons queried.
Ghana’s exorbitant price-per-dose for the vaccines follows the country’s similarly exorbitant price tag for the COVID-19 test at its international airport last year. While most countries were administering tests at a cost of less than $50 per test, Ghana was administering the same test for US$150 per test.
Many observers, along with members of the Minority Caucus in Parliament have criticized the government over its profiteering tendencies with COVID-19, but the government has not repented.
In the 2021 budget, a levy for COVID-19 was announced.
