Lesotho - Shot in the arm for Africa vaccine push

(MENAFN- The Post)

MASERU – THE Mastercard Foundation working with the Africa Centre for disease Control (CDC) say they are buying 65 million vaccines to fight COVID-19 pandemic.
The first batch of 151 200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine arrived in Lesotho in November.
The vaccines were acquired under the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative.

In a statement last week, the Mastercard Foundation said the vaccines within African countries will be distributed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
It said the Saving Lives and Livelihoods“is now a US$1.5 billion partnership that aims to enable vaccination for millions of people, develop a workforce for vaccine manufacturing and strengthen the Africa CDC's capacity to oversee a historic vaccination campaign and effectively respond to future outbreaks”.

The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the MasterCard Foundation, Reeta Roy, said timely delivery of these vaccines underscores the effectiveness of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust.
“Working with the Africa CDC and multiple organisations, the MasterCard Foundation will support the rollout of vaccinations to millions across the continent. More needs to be done to urgently increase vaccination rates,” she said.
“We call on all actors to step forward and save lives and livelihoods in Africa.”

Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC, said the vaccination programme was steadily picking up pace on the continent.
“In September, the first tranche of AVAT-purchased vaccines began rolling out in 39 countries. Now we are announcing the delivery of vaccines purchased through the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative. We are working hard on the ground to get jabs-in-arms, which is the ultimate measure of success,” he said.

The statement said the acquisition of vaccines builds up on a historic agreement negotiated by the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) earlier this year.
Under the agreement, AVAT would buy 400 million Johnson and Johnson vaccines. It would also buy 50 million Moderna vaccines for Africa.
The MasterCard Foundation said it will fund the purchase of 57 million J & J vaccines and is seeking to buy a further 17 million Moderna vaccines.
The AVAT was set up to help African countries pool resources to get the vaccines.

Telecommunications mogul, Strive Masiyiwa, who is spearheading the vaccine acquisitions for Africa, said they had so far secured enough vaccines to vaccinate 450 million people by September 2022.
“In this regard, Africa has met its side of the bargain. So far, the MasterCard Foundation is the only foundation that has stepped up to support Africa in this work. We hope to see other foundations and corporations get behind the local and national delivery of vaccines,” Masiyiwa said.

Professor Benedict Oramah, who is the president of the Afreximbank, said this is a“remarkable collaborative effort through the AVAT, which Afreximbank are proud to have played our part in”.
“The arrangement for the supply and distribution of vaccines was configured on the back of a US$2 billion guarantee issued by Afreximbank to the vaccine manufacturers, with the support of partners,” he said.
“Through these combined efforts, the reopening of trade and commerce throughout the continent will be accelerated.”

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic for Africa (UNECA), Dr Vera Songwe, said AVAT vaccines, partly manufactured in South Africa, are a true testament that local production and pooled procurement are key to the attainment of a more sustainable post-Covid economic recovery across the continent.
The rollout of vaccines under the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative will be led by UNICEF which is overseeing vaccine delivery for the overall AVAT effort.

UNICEF has extensive experience in delivering vaccines and a strong and well-established relationship with African countries, it said.
It said UNICEF is also supporting the procurement of vaccines for the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative and the larger AVAT vaccine purchase effort.

UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said they are proud to continue their support to AVAT and Africa CDC to help vaccinate millions of people in Africa who have been left behind.
“With our long history of procuring and delivering vaccines all around the world, we are committed to helping reduce vaccine inequity and keeping people safe,'' she said.

Lesotho is among a few African countries that have vaccinated almost 50 percent of its people. Although there was initial resistance, the vaccine uptake has gathered speed in recent months.
Last week, government said it will require all civil servants to get the vaccine or they would be barred from accessing government offices.

Staff Reporter

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