ReCPAG advises government to cut cost of antigen testing, close schools and release vaccine roadmap

All passengers arriving at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) are supposed to undergo a mandatory PCR antigen test which the Research Center for Policy Advocacy and Governance (ReCPAG) has asked the Ghanaian government to reduce as it is expensive.

In President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s 23rd COVID-19 update speech on January 31, 2021, he indicated that the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Authority, at its 58th session Ordinary, held on January 23, 2021, agreed that the PCR test for ECOWAS nationals of the sub-region must be done at a maximum fee of US $ 50.

However, ReCPAG Executive Director Mumuni Believer Likpalmor, in a signed statement released today, February 10, 2021, said: “As much as we thank the Heads of State for this singular decision, ReCPAG believes that the cost $ 50 an antigen test is still expensive, and a frantic attempt to continue to milk and profit from already ailing Ghanaian travelers and other non-ECOWAS compatriots who have endured the ravages and ravages of SARS-VOC- 2 ”.

“The most striking realization is that the majority of countries like Malawi charge US $ 25, Djibouti US $ 28, Egypt US $ 30 to name a few. Ironically, those countries that perform the most accurate and sensitive PCR tests charge much less than the antigen test at Kotoka International Airport in Ghana, ”the statement said.

According to ReCPAG, “the continued charge of US $ 150 for non-ECOWAS nationals is an act of discrimination that could lead to replication by international organizations and other neighboring countries.

He further explained that “the SARS-COVID2 sample sequencing test performed by the WACCBIP at the University of Ghana indicates that the new British strain B.1.17 dominates and fuels local transmission in Ghana. So we want to ask ourselves how and why the $ 150 KIA antigen allowed Ghana to suffer this fate?

“We wish to use this medium to also inform the government of the mixed feelings and disappointment among Ghanaians about its inability to be transparent in disclosing the type of vaccine to be purchased, the cost, the quantity, the effectiveness, the system of cold chain management, staff training for vaccine administration and immunization roadmap. The publication of this information could give stakeholders the opportunity to contribute to the development of the best vaccine against the new variants and strengthen the level of confidence of Ghanaians in the vaccination program ”.

ReCPAG further called on the president to immediately close schools across the country as cases of the corona virus continue to escalate, especially among children since schools resumed last month. He also highlighted the need to increase awareness to provide more information and knowledge about the corona virus.

“Again, while trials are underway to conclude on the eligibility of children under 16 for vaccination, our research indicates that the infection rate of the new variants is alarming in children. So we want to use this medium to call on the President to take the bull by the horn and shut down our core and undergraduate high schools as we continue to study the science and data of variants. The particular reason is that the government has not provided enough PPE to most schools to help contain the growing spread and outbreak of the virus among schoolchildren whose parents are living in a state of apprehension.

“Regarding education and awareness, ReCPAG says there is still a large public education and knowledge gap among Ghanaians, appealing to part of the population believing that SARS-COVID-2 does not is not real; that the disease affects only the rich in society; incorrect wearing of nasal masks, mainly on the chin and non-compliance with other covid protocols. We therefore call on the NCCE to step up its public education while the government plays its supporting role with the necessary logistics in this regard, “the statement added, adding that:” We encourage citizens to fully adhere to security protocols by washing. their hands with soap under running water, social distancing, the appropriate wearing of nasal masks, the use of hand sanitizers and other measures to prevent existing infections ”.