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 14 million Ghanaians don’t have health insurance coverage

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Health Insurance, Newscenta, NHIS, Ghana Health Service, NHIA, Ghana, Ghana Statistical Service,

About 14 million Ghanaians do not have health insurance coverage despite the existence of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Deprivation in health insurance coverage is the largest contributor to multidimensional poverty in the first six months of 2022.

This is according to data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in its Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES).

Per the report, 34.6% of the population have health insurance in the first quarter of this year.

However, this number declined slightly in the second to 33.4%

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Among the indicators for multidimensional poverty in the country, health insurance coverage and improved toilet facilities have the highest deprivations.

On food security, the findings reveal that 49.1% of the population, representing 15.1 million people, experienced food insecurity in the first quarter of 2022.

The findings showed that this number decreased to about 13 million (42.1%) in the second quarter of the year.

The prevalence of food insecurity is however higher in rural areas than urban areas.

In the first quarter of 2022, the prevalence of food insecurity in four regions in the northern part of the country [Savannah (58.8%), Upper West (61.8%), North East (65.6%) and Upper East (73.7%)] was more than twice that of the Greater Accra Region (27.2%).

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All regions experience reduction in food insecurity between first and second quarters, except for the Upper West Region which experienced food insecurity ranging from 55% to 61.8%.

The Oti and Western North Region experienced the largest declines of food insecurity of 19.6 and 18.7% respectively.

Between first quarter (12.3%) and second quarter (6.4%), respectively, severe food insecurity reduces by almost half.

The decline is higher for rural households.

The Prevalence of severe food insecurity was highest in the North East Region (32.9%) and lowest in Eastern Region (7.3%).

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Nine regions recorded higher severe food insecurity prevalence than the national average of 12.3%.

 

Multidimensional poverty

The proportion of the population that is multidimensionally poor increased from about 13.6 million people (44.1%), in the first quarter of 2022 to 14.4 million (46.7%) in the second quarter (Q2).

Even though about 803,000 more people are poor in the second quarter, the extent of poverty reduced across the two quarters..

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At the regional level, more than half of the population in nine regions – Ahafo (53.7%), Western

North (56.5), Bono East (58.9%), Upper East (68.5%), Upper West (59.9%), Oti (72.5%), Northern (72.5%), Savannah (77.5%), and North East (77.6%) are multidimensionally poor.

The research also found that about 6.4 million persons are simultaneously food insecure and multidimensionally poor.

 

Labour statistics

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The unemployment rate in Ghana in the first half of 2022 increased by 0.5 percentage points between the first quarter (13.4%) and second quarter (13.9%).

The unadjusted gender pay gap in the first quarter of 2022 was 37%, with males earning a mean hourly pay of GH¢11 and females GH¢6.9.

About 390,000 persons aged 15 years and older unemployed in the first Quarter  remain unemployed in the quarter of 2022.

Between the first and second quarters of 2022, about 445,000 persons 15 years and older outside the labour force joined the number of unemployed persons.

Close to 850,000 persons 15 years and older employed in the first quarter   transitioned to unemployment status in the quarter   while more than 500,000 unemployed persons gained employment over the same period.

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Food insecurity among employed population

Among persons in the labour force (15 years and older) about 380,000 are simultaneously food insecure, multidimensionally poor, and unemployed.

The Savannah Region emerged as the region with the highest percent of triple burdened (food

insecure, multidimensionally poor, and unemployed) persons which is more than twice the national average.

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The Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) is the first nationally

representative high-frequency household panel survey in Ghana and is conducted to obtain quarterly and annual data on household final consumption expenditure and a wide scope of demographic, economic and welfare variables including statistics on labour, food security, multi-dimensional poverty and health status for research, policy, and planning.

Health

Measles, Polio and other childhood vaccines dispatched to regions

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Childhood vaccines, Newscenta, Polio, Measles, Ministry of Health, Regions,

The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have received the first consignment of Measles vaccines, Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccines and Oral Polio Vaccines.

The Ministry of Information in a statement said distribution to various regions and facilities was underway.

It noted that more vaccines are expected in Ghana in the coming weeks from multiple sources.

“More vaccines expected in Ghana in the coming weeks from multiple sources,” the Information Ministry added.

It shared pictures of the GHS receiving the vaccines at the airport noting that they have already begun distributing them to various regions and facilities.

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The ministry also shared photos of regional cold vans picking their consignments of the Measles, BCG and Oral Polio vaccines received and its accompanying logistics at the National Cold Room in Accra.

Ghana ran out of essential BCG and OPV vaccines as a result of the Ministry of Health’s failure to secure procurement of these vaccines since the year began.

The BCG vaccine is primarily needed to prevent the occurrence of tuberculosis in babies, while the OPV is to prevent polio infections

Other essential vaccines to prevent diseases such as measles, whooping cough, etc. are also in short supply.

Answering to parliament on the shortages, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu said that more than $6 million has been paid to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to deliver baby vaccines.

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According to him, the government expects the shortage to end in the next three weeks when all the vaccines are delivered.

Whilst urging the Legislators to approve funds needed for vaccines, he assured that shortages will not reoccur

“The assurance I will give and I can give for the first time in the Chamber is that this will not happen again and I will advise that you help me in my advocacy to get adequate funding for vaccines even the health insurance budget,” he appealed.

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Health

No measles deaths in 20yrs, vaccines arriving soon  

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Vaccines, Newscenta, measles, BCG, polio, immunisation,

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has assured parents of children who are yet to receive their scheduled vaccines due to the vaccine shortage currently being experienced in the country that the country will take delivery of these vaccines in the next few weeks.

He gave this assurance at an emergency press briefing organised to address the raging issue which has seen many worried parents moving from facility to facility in a desperate search for the crucial vaccines.

The Minister in his address stated that the nation is currently facing a shortage of some vaccines.

He said, “it is true we have had some vaccine shortages in the country since the last quarter of 2022. The vaccines in short supply are BCG, Measles-Rubella (MR), and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). This shortage is nationwide.”

Agyemang-Manu however assured that  “the Ministry of Health has been making efforts to ensure we secure adequate stocks of vaccines despite this global challenge.”

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He went further to state that, “we have made all necessary efforts to ensure that despite these challenges we secure adequate stocks within the next few weeks.”

He disclosed that the country has not recorded deaths caused by measles outbreak in parts of the country.

The Health Minister indicated that there had been no recorded measles-related deaths in the country in the last 20 years, even though there have been sporadic outbreaks.

He further indicated that besides the shortage of vaccines, there had been a global decline in vaccinations with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019.

He said, “the recent shortage in vaccines for measles, as regrettable as it is, is symptomatic of the steady global decline in measles vaccination since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.”

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Agyemang-Manu however assures the citizenry that the nation’s vaccination coverage remains robust, with immunization performance coverage being among the best in the world.

According to him, “in 2021 we recorded 95% [vaccine] coverage.”

In recent months there has been a desperate scramble among worried parents of toddlers over the apparent shortage of vaccines for the six childhood killer diseases in the nation’s pharmacies and hospitals.

This coupled with an outbreak of the measles-rubella virus has left parents worrying about the safety of their children.

 

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Ghana: Zipline delivers 14.8m lifesaving medical products

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Zipline, drones, Newscenta, 14.8m deliveries, 2022, medical products,

Zipline, the world’s first and only national-scale drone delivery service has delivered some 14.8 million (14,809,463) units of lifesaving medical, vaccines and blood products to health facilities in Ghana as at the end of 2022

309,000 delivery flights

These items were delivered through 309,000 separate delivery flights.

4.4m units delivered

The total units delivered amounted to 4.4 million.

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8.3m doses of childhood vaccines

Childhood vaccines top the list with the delivery of 8.3 million doses.

2.05m doses of COVID-19 vaccines

It is followed by COVID-19 vaccines which recorded 2.05 million doses.

48,588 doses of malaria vaccines

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The company delivered 48,588 doses of malaria vaccines during the period

10,875 pints of blood

Some 10,875 blood units were also delivered during the period.

Zipline, drones, Newscenta, 14.8m deliveries, 2022, medical products,

6 Zipline distribution centers

The six  Zipline distribution centers delivers lifesaving medical, vaccines and blood products to over 2,500 health facilities.

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Zipline introduced in April 2019

Ghana integrated Zipline’s medical drone delivery service into its health supply chain in April 2019 with an initial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UPS Foundation and other partners.

Instant access to health commodities

Zipline enables instant access to hundreds of health commodities for thousands of health facilities across the country.

Autonomous drones

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This marked the first time in history that autonomous drones have been used to make regular long-range deliveries into densely populated urban areas.

Zipline reaches half the population

Zipline’s current network in Ghana can reach up to half the population.

Life-saving care

All too often, people requiring life-saving care do not get the medicine they need when they need it.

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Reduce medical waste

To increase access and reduce medical waste, key stock of blood products, vaccines, and life-saving medications are stored at Zipline’s base for just-in-time delivery.

Health workers place orders

Health workers place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries in 30 minutes on average.

Drones deliver the orders

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The drones take off from and land at Zipline’s base, requiring no additional infrastructure or manpower at the clinics they serve.

Each drone can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo

The drones fly autonomously and can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo, cruising at 110km an hour, and have a round trip range of 160km—even in high-speed winds and rain.

How Zipline works

Each week, a single Zipline distribution centre – a combination of medical fulfilment warehouse and drone airport – is capable of the on-demand delivery of more than two tonnes of temperature-controlled medicine to any point across an almost 8,000 square mile service area.

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Zipline, drones, Newscenta, 14.8m deliveries, 2022, medical products,

30 to 45 minutes deliveries

Each aircraft can fly 100 miles round trip, in strong winds and rain, day or night, to make on-demand deliveries in 30 to 45 minutes on average.

Zipline’s drones have flown more than five million autonomous miles to deliver more than 1.5 million doses of vaccines, units of blood, and critical and life-saving medications to more than a thousand health facilities serving more than 25 million people across three countries.

Zipline in United States

In the United States, Zipline has partnered with a leading healthcare system, Novant Health, on the country’s first drone logistics operation by a hospital system for pandemic response.

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To date, Novant Health has utilised Zipline to make contactless drone distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontline medical teams around Charlotte, North Carolina.

Zipline operating in Kaduna and Cross River States in Nigeria

Zipline recently commenced medical delivery services in Kaduna and Cross River States in Nigeria as its footprint grows across Africa.

Set to begin commercial operations in Côte D’Ivoire and Kenya

The company is set to begin commercial operations in Côte D’Ivoire and Kenya this week bringing to five countries in Africa to have adopted the technology.

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