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March 3, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines will cushion humanitarian challenges – FG

Uganda will import five million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines next month after the discovery of new COVID-19 variants in the country, President Yoweri Museveni has said. In a televised address to the nation late Friday, Museveni said the vaccines will be used to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of the 5.5 million elderly. People below 50 years, with underlying medical conditions that are at high risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, will also be vaccinated. Uganda targets to vaccinate more than 21.9 million people who face the highest risk of the infection, including the health workers, teachers, social workers and security personnel, elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. “The government is working hard to ensure we bring another five million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine before the end of May to complete the threshold vaccination and ensure that those vaccinated before getting the second booster dose,’’ said Museveni. “Vaccines are the most effective intervention we have against COVID-19. “The government and partners are working hard to bring vaccines to most adult Ugandans to protect them and to support us to reopen the economy and get back all our children to school.’’ Henry Mwebesa, Director-General of Health Services, last week said Uganda is scheduled to receive some two million more doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines in May through the COVAX facility. Uganda has so far received 964,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX vaccine sharing programme and the Indian government. As of April 16, a total of 220,893 people had been inoculated with the first jab of AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health statistics. The country has reported the emergence of the highly transmissible COVID-19 variants which were first reported in Britain, South Africa and Nigeria. The ministry’s data showed that as of April 16, Uganda had registered a cumulative total of 41,340 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 40,898 recoveries and 338 deaths.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development says, the COVID-19 vaccines that arrived the country will cushion the humanitarian challenges relating to the pandemic.

Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development said this in a statement issued by her media aide, Mrs Nneka Anibeze on Wednesday in Abuja.

The minister expressed delight in the arrival of the 3.92 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines that arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday.

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“Let me start by expressing my happiness for the arrival of the first consignment of the COVID-19 vaccines, this demonstrates a milestone in the history of this country in the fight against the pandemic.

“For us in the ministry, COVID-19 is both health emergency and a humanitarian challenge; the administration of the vaccine will really go a long way in cushioning the humanitarian challenges that we are facing.

“I am using this opportunity to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for the support he has given to the Presidential Task Force through the Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.

“We are all pleased and we hope that these vaccines will be effectively utilised,” Farouq said.

The statement also quoted Mustapha as describing the arrival of the vaccines as a milestone in the history of the country and international response to COVID-19.

“The successful development of vaccines and the accelerated process for emergency authorisation has brought hope to humanity all over the world.

“The delivery of these vaccines was made possible as a result of the resourceful leadership provided by President Buhari, the National Assembly and major financial support from our friends globally,” he said.

The PTF Chairman explained that the Federal Government was expecting an additional 84 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX within the year.

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He said the vaccine would serve 20 per cent of Nigeria’s over 200 million populations.

Mustapha said that government would begin the vaccination of frontline healthcare workers who would be the highest-priority recipients and strategic leaders in Abuja from March 8.

The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) is from Mumbai, India.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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