AFRICA – African countries have stepped up their COVID-19 vaccination campaigns with reinforcements from United States (US)and China to get people vaccinated and raise awareness.

The surge in support for African nations is an effort to help the World Health Organization (WHO) reach the goal of vaccinating 70% of the world by end of December this year.

As part of the Global Vax Goal, the US government has launched the initiative in eleven countries in sub-Saharan Africa including Uganda where the US has donated over 12 million vaccine doses in addition to support in terms of oxygen, outfitting emergency centres and funding public health fellows.

In Uganda, United States is currently in discussions with the Ministry of Health to offer financial support of US$27m (UGX 95b) needed in terms of logistics to get COVID-19 shots into the arms of Ugandans.

The health ministry set a target of having 22 million Ugandans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2021.

However, 13.5million Ugandans have gotten the first dose while 7.4 million are fully vaccinated.

“There are still over 8.7 million people who are not yet vaccinated and 6.1 million who are partially vaccinated,” reported the health ministry.

US donates 2.2 million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to Egypt

Meanwhile, the United States has delivered 2.2m doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to Egypt as part of its global campaign to combat the coronavirus.

“To date, the US has delivered 23.5m vaccine doses to Egypt in American-Egyptian efforts to fight the virus and encourages all eligible Egyptians to get vaccinated,” the Egyptian Health Ministry reported. 

Moreover, the US government through United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided more than US$55m (EGP 864m) to support Egypt’s coronavirus response.

USAID programmes have also been training healthcare workers, boosting small businesses, helping in tracking the virus and delivering vaccines to the Egyptian people.

This support builds on the more than US$1bn (EGP 15.7bn) the US has invested in Egypt over the past 40 years to improve its healthcare.

China partners Egypt to produce 500,000 Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses

In recent developments, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) received a joint Egyptian-Chinese gift of 500,000 doses of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine that was manufactured at the Egyptian Holding Company for the Production of Vaccines (VACSERA) for the Gaza Strip.

In 2021, VACSERA and the Chinese bioproducts company Sinovac agreed to manufacture the Chinese vaccine in Egypt.

The partnership strengthens the Egyptian state’s efforts to establish a vaccine industry in the country and make it a regional center for vaccine distribution.

Egyptian-Chinese cooperation also entails the exchange of expertise in the manufacturing and development of vaccines as well as the enhancement of Egypt’s scientific and technical capabilities and related infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities.

“China has so far provided over 2.1 billion doses of covid-19 to more than 120 countries and international organizations,” announced Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

He said that China is now focusing on providing a new round of large-scale vaccine assistance to Africa.

He added that China, with higher quality development and better capability to deliver, will provide stronger impetus for global recovery beyond COVID and greater contribution to international peace and stability.

Liked this article? Sign up to receive our regular email newsletters, focused on Africa and World’s healthcare industry, directly into your inbox. SUBSCRIBE HERE