North East Region tops nationwide COVID-19 vaccination exercise

The Regional Director of Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the North East Region, Dr Abdulai Abukari, says 328,691 persons were successfully vaccinated in the region, representing 84.1 per cent, the highest percentage coverage in the country.

“It is a position we have held for several months now, and we hope to maintain with the support of all stakeholders in the region,” the director said.

Dr Abukari was speaking at a meeting with members of the Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) in Nalerigu after the Sixth National COVID-19 Vaccination Days Campaign (NaVCaDs) in the region.

The campaign, launched on the theme: “Protect Yourself, Protect Your Family, Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19, was intended to vaccinate all eligible members of the public who were 15 years and above with potent COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr Abukari acknowledged the support of the PHEMC and staff of the GHS, saying, “North East Region, through your support and our able staff, emerged the best performing region in the just ended NaVCaDs round five campaign.”

Increase vaccine uptake

He indicated that in spite of its challenges as a new region, the health directorate would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that all residents within the region were fully vaccinated to check any possible spread of the virus.

“The main objective is to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake across the country for all partially vaccinated or unvaccinated persons aged 15 years and above,” the director said.

He said the GHS in the region targeted to vaccinate 30,660 residents in the sixth round of the five-day vaccination exercise which started on January 20 and ended on January 24, 2023.

Dr Abukari noted that apart from the fully vaccinated population as at January 20, 2023, a total of 327,235 people took at least one dose, representing 83.9 per cent while 101,405 people took first booster doses.

Giving the state of the municipal and district coverage, the director said the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District recorded 79.1 per cent coverage, Chereponi 60.2 per cent, Mamprugu-Moagduri District 67.6 per cent, Yunyoo-Nasuan 102.2 per cent, while the East and West Mamprusi Municipalities recorded 71.0 and 99.5 per cent respectively.

Dr Abukari said 90 teams of vaccinators and volunteers, and 64 supervisors at different levels mounted static sessions at various locations, while others moved from house-to-house to vaccinate eligible members of the public after they were recruited and trained for the five-day exercise.

The Chief Director at the Regional Coordinating Council, Chimsi Musah, who chaired the meeting, admonished residents who had not vaccinated, to ensure they got vaccinated for the full immunity against the virus.

He called on the media to continue to educate members of the public on the virus and the need for residents to protect themselves, even though the region had no active case.