Make coronavirus vaccine available to all – Akufo-Addo urges world powers

President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on world leaders to ensure that in the event that a vaccine is found for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, it should be made available to the entire world and not the rich few.

There has been a debate among world super powers as to who gets to be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine when one is discovered. United States health authorities hope by late next month to have some draft guidance on how to ration initial doses, but it’s a vexing decision and the developing world are those likely to be discriminated most should a vaccine be found.

Addressing the virtual 75th United Nations General Assembly via a pre-recorded video today, the 23rd of September 2020, President Akufo-Addo said the entire world has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic together and so must rise out of it together.

“Mr. President, the lessons are clear we all fell together and looked into the abbeys together even as we closed our borders and shut airports, reality dawned on all of us that we had to rely on each other to be able to get out of the trouble that we were in. We have all gone down together, we should all rise together” President Akufo-Addo said.

“If the answer to this pandemic lies in finding a vaccine, that vaccine should be made available to the whole world, rich and poor alike, developed and developing, all races and all believes” President Akufo-Addo stated.

Election 2020

On the upcoming 7th December Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana, the 8th of its kind under the fourth (4th) republican constitution of the nation, President Akufo-Addo said he is firm in his conviction that he will ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.

“The political season is at its height here in Ghana as we prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections in December. Like everything else in our world today, wven the politicking has been affected by the pandemic and we cannot campaign for votes in the style we are accustomed. It is a matter of great pride to me that in spite of the difficulties in conducting at election during a pandemic, I am able to state that all Ghanaians are agreed that we have to work together to ensure that the elections will be transparent, free, fair, safe and credible” President Akufo-Addo said.

To this end President Akufo-Addo indicated that his administration is “keenly aware of the reputation that Ghana has built as a tolerant and working democracy and for that matter, he has” every intention to nurture and improve on it”.

Financing for Developing Countries

Touching on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the world economy and particularly that of the developing world, President Akufo-Addo said the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has signaled that COVID-19 has brought in its wake, “a significant reduction in the financing available to developing economies”. The developed world and the United Nations thus have a responsibility to offer support to the developing world in order to help protect the gains that has been made by the developing world.

“The restructuring of the global financing architecture to enable access to fresh capital by developing nations now more than ever, is of immediate necessity” President Akufo-Addo said.