The World Health Organization (WHO) has told the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that the much anticipated Ebola vaccines could cost about $100 per dose.
An official of the WHO revealed this to heads of states of ECOWAS who have converged on Accra again to find ways of dealing with the deadly disease that killed nearly 5,000 persons in the sub-region.
The WHO is optimistic that a quarter of a million vaccines will be ready by February 2015 for distribution.
According to the WHO, the $100 per dose has even been heavily subsidized.Subsequently, one million more of the drugs will be ready by end of 2015.
The WHO has however warned that manufacturing of the vaccines were “fast-tracked” and this is likely to have effects they have not anticipated.If there is any liability, “we usually pass on the liabilities onto the countries, so the Heads of State should find a way of minimizing the liabilities,” the WHO representative warned.
He also noted that member states of ECOWAS would have to decide on the form of distribution and who will receive them first, whether medical personnel, the sick, among others.
The ECOWAS Chair, President Mahama at the summit, complained about how the Ebola disease had rendered thousands of children in affected countries orphans.
“Since the start of this epidemic, Liberia alone has registered more than 2,000 newly orphaned children. This is a country that was trying to find ways to cope with the children who had been orphaned during the 15-year civil war. The fear of Ebola has made these orphans, unwanted in homes of their extended relatives and existing orphanages,” Mahama said.
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(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)