Procurement of Janssen Vaccines: Health Ministry Responds To US$81M Cited In AG's Report

The Ministry of Health and its partners, have noted, the media reportage on 22nd January, 2023 on the procurement of Janssen vaccines for Ghana at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2021, and wish to clarify the issues.

It said for Ghana, 16,918,600 doses of the Jansen vaccines were allocated, and AVAT was to deliver these vaccines periodically per agreed delivery schedule, as and when we needed them.

In a statement issued by the Ministry, as part of the African Union’s Strategy to fight the COVID 19 pandemic in Africa, Ghana subscribed to the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) protocol.

AVAT was created as a central entity for the negotiation, procurement and payment for vaccines and also to act as the interface between AU member states, on one hand and the vaccine manufacturers on the other hand. Countries were allocated quantities of vaccines based on the population and ability to deploy the vaccines on prescribed schedules.

"It must be noted that, the AVAT protocol required upfront payment by countries for scheduled deliveries such that, soon as any such volumes of vaccines are available for delivery, payment is due through the AVAT arrangement," the Ministry said in a statement.

Read attached the full statement.