ACCRA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The government of Ghana Wednesday took the delivery of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, becoming the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility.

"We are pleased that Ghana has become the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility. As part of the UN Country Team in Ghana, UNICEF and WHO reiterate our commitment to support the vaccination campaign and contain the spread of the virus, in close cooperation with all partners," said a joint statement issued by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ghana's Information Minister-designate Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the government will conduct COVID-19 vaccination among the segmented population from next week, urging the people to brace themselves up to get vaccinated when the exercise begins.

"The government of Ghana remains resolute at ensuring the welfare of all Ghanaians and is making frantic efforts to acquire adequate vaccines to cover the entire population through bilateral and multilateral agencies," Oppong Nkrumah said.

He added the first group to be vaccinated include health workers, adults 60 years and over, people with underlying health conditions, frontline executive, legislature, judiciary, and their related staff, frontline security personnel, some religious leaders, essential workers, teachers, and other personalities in Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi, and surrounding areas.