Why is Ghana budgeting US$10 per dose of coronavirus vaccines? – Bright Simons asks

Bright Simons, the President of mPedigree Network and an honorary vice-president-at-IMANI Africa, has questioned why Ghana is paying as high as US$10 per dose for COVID-19 vaccines.

“Kenya is paying US$3 per dose for its vaccines (with an additional US$0.07 planned for logistics). South Africa paid US$5.25,” Bright Simons wrote on his Twitter timeline on Saturday, February 13, 2021. “Most EU countries are paying around US$2.16 (but because of volume & bargaining power issues there, let's discount). Why is Ghana budgeting $10 per dose?”

Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) revealed to the media on Thursday, February 11, 2021, that the Government of Ghana is expected to spend over US$200 million to procure COVID-19 vaccines for the entire population.

He disclosed that the price of the vaccine available presently ranged from USD 4 to USD 20 and that would be the cost at which every Ghanaian would be vaccinated.

“The goal is to vaccinate every Ghanaian and presently we are in excess of USD 200 million,” Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe told the Ghana News Agency in a report monitored by GhanaWeb that the first consignment of the vaccine would arrive in the country by the end of February.

Kenya is paying US$3 per dose for its vaccines (with an additional $0.07 planned for logistics). South Africa paid US$5.25. Most EU countries are paying around US$2.16 (but becos of volume & bargaining power issues there, let's discount). Why is Ghana budgeting $10 per dose?

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) February 13, 2021