On 24 February 2021, staff unloads the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines distributed by the COVAX Facility at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana's capital. The shipment with 600 doses of the vaccine also represents the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The COVAX Facility plans to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year. This is an unprecedented global effort to make sure all citizens have access to vaccines. Anne-Claire Dufay UNICEF UNICEF Representative in Ghana and WHO country representative Francis Kasolo said in a joint statement: After a year of disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 80,700 Ghanaians getting infected with the virus and over 580 lost lives, the path to recovery for the people of Ghana can finally begin. "This is a momentous occasion, as the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines into Ghana is critical in bringing the pandemic to an end," These 600,000 COVAX vaccines are part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India, which represent part of the first wave of COVID vaccines headed to several low and middle-income countries. “The shipments also represent the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The COVAX Facility plans to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year. This is an unprecedented global effort to make sure all citizens have access to vaccines. “We are pleased that Ghana has become the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility. We congratulate the Government of Ghana – especially the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and Ministry of Information - for its relentless efforts to protect the population. 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, including Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Vaccines save lives. As health workers and other front-line staff are vaccinated, we will be able to gradually see a return to normalcy, including better access to health, education and protection services. In the spirit of Universal Health Coverage, let’s leave no one behind."
This is the latest donation to Nigeria by U.S, which has provided to Nigeria over $130 million of technical and financial support to her COVID-19 response specifically for vaccination roll out and administration, deployment of personnel to support the response, last mile delivery and supply chain logistics, epidemiological and vaccine related COVID-19 surveys and surveillance systems, testing capacity and molecular lab networks, personal protective equipment, and provision of rapid response teams.
A statement on Tuesday by rhe U.S. Embassy in Nigeria revealed that Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard visited the National Strategic Warehouse to welcome the latest delivery of U.S.-government donated COVID-19 vaccines, and discussed COVID-19 vaccine storage and distribution with the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Faisal Shuaib and his technical and warehouse staff.
The visit of the Ambassador marked the most recent donation of 3.2 million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines by the United States to Nigeria.
According to the statement, these vaccines have over 6 months of validity before expiration and are being stored at the National Strategic Warehouse for distribution to thousands of COVID-19 vaccination sites nationwide.
During the visit, Ambassador Leonard inspected the vaccine doses and discussed how the agency is maintaining proper ultra-cold storage, insisting that safe and effective vaccines “are our best tool to ending the pandemic.”
The statement added that the latest shipment reflects the United States’ commitment to purchase and donate 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses worldwide, noting that to date, the United States has delivered more than 370 million vaccine doses to over 110 countries. This includes the over 24.7 million U.S-donated doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Nigerian people, while revealing that all U.S.-donated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses to Nigeria have had an expiration deadline of at least 6 months or more upon receipt to ensure adequate time for use.
The statement said: “Vaccine donations are a part of the U.S. government’s continued partnership with the Government of Nigeria in combating COVID-19. To date, the U.S. government has provided over $130 million of technical and financial support to Nigeria’s COVID-19 response specifically for vaccination roll out and administration, deployment of personnel to support the response, last mile delivery and supply chain logistics, epidemiological and vaccine related COVID-19 surveys and surveillance systems, testing capacity and molecular lab networks, personal protective equipment, and provision of rapid response teams. The U.S. government has also contributed to the training of over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures and maintaining preventive health and social services.”
The U.S. government, meanwhile, urged all Nigerians to go out and get vaccinated to make themselves safe and make use of the donated COVID-19 vaccines, insisting that these actions will strengthen not only the health and well-being of the nation but the overall worldwide response to the pandemic.
It noted that every individual plays a vital role in supporting the global effort needed to stem the spread of COVID-19., promising that the U.S. government will continue its partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Centre for Disease Control to defeat COVID-19 and deliver life-saving vaccine doses across the country via COVAX.
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
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