Health Minister-designate Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye’s book chronicling Ghana’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic has been officially launched in Accra.
President Akufo-Addo launched the book, titled “Fellow Ghanaians: Telling Ghana’s COVID-19 Story: A Journey of Fear, Facts, Faith, and Fortune,” at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
The book aims to serve as a study document presenting original research into the pandemic and engaging directly with all sections of Ghanaian society and beyond.
President Akufo-Addo praised the book as a timely masterpiece, lauding Dr. Okoe-Boye for providing a comprehensive analysis of Ghana’s COVID-19 experience. He commended Ghanaians for adhering to safety protocols and urged reflection on the lessons learned and progress made toward nation-building.
Dr. Okoe-Boye expressed his intention to share knowledge on Ghana’s efforts in fighting the pandemic with the world through his book.
“The legacies of the pandemic lie in these intangible, priceless changes in attitude. Another intangible legacy of the pandemic going into the future has to do with the rekindling of the can-do spirit.
“The experience we have had as a nation and the battles we have fought against the virus under the banner of ‘This too shall pass’ and the grace of the Almighty has established our belief in the Ghanaian. It is now clear that no problem can continue to persist, and no challenge can continue to linger on when we dare ourselves to be frontal with the issues and rise to the occasion.”
He acknowledged the contribution of all key stakeholders in Ghana’s health ecosystem, especially the frontline health staff at various health facilities, whose hard work resulted in the official documentation of the book.
Dr. Okoe-Boye announced that the monetary gains from the book launch would be used for the construction of new wards at the Lekma Hospital in the Greater Accra Region and an identified health facility in a deprived community in the Nkoranza district of the Bono East Region.
Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia commented that two features of the book stand out.
“First, the language is highly accessible; everyone can read and understand the contents. This is good for both basic and advanced lovers of knowledge. Secondly, the story is told in detailed chronological accounts, making it easy for readers to follow the story as it is told. Future students of contemporary Ghanaian history or even global health history will find this book invaluable. The book is certainly a good record of the collective audacity of Ghanaians and our ability to fight the COVID-19 pandemic with such courage and alacrity. To get a copy of this book is to keep a piece of history on your bookshelf,“ he said.
The First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo assessed the book and stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic taught as many lessons and showed as that we are a resilient nation. Dr Okoe Boye’s book encapsulates that so succinctly. The book gives insight into our transition from the first reported case to our unique responsiveness to the global pandemic as it evolved. We are made to appreciate how the vulnerable in society adapted, as well as what the government did, to facilitate the survival of the whole nation.
The simplistic vocabulary book dovetails a detailed account of how Ghana in the Sub-Region handled the COVID-19 pandemic using the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.”