According to a survey study on COVID-19 vaccination reluctance in the nation published by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), religious leaders had a significant impact on their followers' decision to be immunised.
The COVID-19 Reaction and Institutional Capacity Building (CRIB) initiative, which had heavily involved religious leaders and used their services in the COVID-19 programme, was blamed for the crisis in part.
As a result, religious factors that would otherwise have fueled hesitation were effectively handled.
The religious leaders had active responsibilities to play based on the procedures provided to churches as prerequisites for reopening and conducting church services, the study concluded. This is another conceivable explanation.
The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) under its CRIB conducted the study with funding from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
In order to better understand the state of vaccination hesitancy in the respondents' chosen districts, a survey with a sample size of 780 people from 39 districts throughout 15 regions of the country was conducted.
Just a tiny fraction, or 0.6%, of the 169 respondents (representing 22%) who were still on the fence about being immunised did so for religious reasons.
Dr James Duah, the Deputy Executive Director of CHAG, spoke with the Daily Graphic about the findings and noted that the vaccinations were also supplied to churches, some of which served as centres for immunisation. This demonstrated the church's active engagement and Whatever scepticism about religion that individuals may have had was dispelled by its leaders.
At certain churches, the pastors and priests made announcements and urged their followers to use the COVID vaccines, he added, commending the leadership of the various religious bodies for their helpful involvement.
He was appreciative of the religious leaders' active contribution to the nation's capacity to curb the pandemic. Dr Duah also expressed his gratitude to the FCDO for providing the funds necessary for the CHAG to carry out the CRIB initiative, which allowed populations outside of major cities to get Covid information and immunisation.
He clarified that the FCDO aimed to assist the government's response to the COVID-19 by enhancing Ghana's health systems to sustain the delivery of crucial medical services.
Social media, according to Dr. Duah, was one factor in vaccination reluctance.
Of the 169 individuals, or 22% of the population, who refused the vaccination, he said that 51 of them, or 30% of the population, claimed that their decision was affected by what they read or saw on social media.
He explained that at the height of the epidemic, there was a deluge of false material on social media about the pandemic, particularly the vaccinations.
He said that the circumstance had a significant impact on the effort to contain the epidemic.
Moreover, family and friends had an impact on 22.2% of people who objected to the vaccination.
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