On 2 March 2021, a nurse prepares to administer a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine at Accra's Ridge Hospital, as Ghana rolls out its national COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Health workers, seniors and people with underlying conditions are prioritized for vaccination.

As the global rollout of COVAX vaccines accelerates, the first COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in the African Region using COVAX doses began 1 March 2021 in Ghana and Côte D'Ivoire. These campaigns are the among the first to use doses provided by COVAX. This is an historic step towards ensuring equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.

COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and WHO working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, and others. It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.