"Ghana's response to COVID-19 commendable" — NADMO boss Agyemang-Prempeh

The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Nana Eric Agyemang-Prempeh, says Ghana's response to the Covid-19 pandemic is commendable as the nation demonstrated a high level of commitment to the fight.

He said intensified public education and enforcement of the observance of protocols helped salvage the nation from a free fall widespread of the pandemic.

" As at October 4, 2021, the country recorded 128,368 confirmed cases; 124,514 cases recovered; 2,696 active cases, and 1,158 dead. Again, as at October 4, 2021 the total vaccine doses administered was 2,025,183 with 820,037 people fully vaccinated, he said.

The NADMO Boss said this during a Zoom meeting to commemorate this year's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on the theme, "Only Together....We Can Save the Planet".

He said those figures represented woefully inadequate vaccines available for the country compared with the levels in the developed countries.

"We firmly believe that equitable delivery and distribution of vaccines is not only the right thing to do, it is the only way to solve worst public health emergency.

"The achievement of vaccine equity will be the proof that international cooperation can address pandemic now and, in the future. This requires cooperation by the developed countries, yes “Only Together” …. We can save the planet."

Nana Agyemang-Prempeh said: "The lessons we have learnt as a country during the response to Covid-19 have shown that there are major gaps within our health care delivery system.

"The existence of few emergency hospitals, not very well-prepared district hospitals for emergencies, inadequate health facilities and personnel, medical laboratories equipped with old fashioned equipment and in general difficulty in accessing medical care in many rural communities," he said, adding that the government has started a major move to improve healthcare in the country.

"Nonetheless, addressing such a situation requires elaborate financial commitment which can overstretch our national resources.

"As the target “F” of the Sendai Framework recommends, which is also in line with our national agenda, what the developing countries really need goes beyond aid, we need” co-operation” from the developed countries to be able to address these critical gaps. We have to work “Together” to ensure resilience in the health delivery system.

"Another lesson we learn is the potential of a pandemic crisis to derail economic progress. We recall that the pandemic carried along in its trail various economic consequences. People lost their livelihoods, either totally or partially, others had their incomes reduced either marginally or drastically. Many more lost their jobs because their employers could not sustain the recurring losses they were making.

He said Public sector workers who relatively had secured income sources also had to contend with domestic pressures as family members who had lost their livelihoods depended on them for survival.

The international day for Disaster Risk Reduction commemorates a day dedicated to disaster risk reduction.

It is also a forum for nations to take stock of their performance in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and by extension the Sustainable Development Goals.

GNA