Speaking to journalists, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, ranking member of the Health Committee of Parliament, said Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu should step down if he cannot effectively deliver on his mandate.
“We started documenting a measles vaccine shortage around October 2022 and it was an emergency and the Minister and the government failed and continued to look at it for several months.
“This is very unacceptable, especially when these vaccines are not over-the-counter drugs and people can walk in and buy them. These vaccines are very sensitive and highly protected by institutions and states, so if we don’t have the vaccines, all the children in this country will be at greater risk, especially in the northern part of the country.
Mr. Akandoh further emphasized that the shortages “are inexcusable, both in vaccine procurement and its deployment, so we need to plan ahead.”
Despite the allocation of about GH¢72 million for the procurement of vaccines, the country has been hit by a measles outbreak since October 2022 due to lack of vaccines, the group says.
However, the Health Minister, who was scheduled to appear in Parliament on Tuesday, March 7, to provide answers to the vaccine shortage, excused the Speaker.
This is the second time Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has failed to appear before the House as he could not honor the scheduled appearance on February 28.