MTN has announced a donation of US$25 million to support the Covid-19 vaccination programme of the African Union (AU).
The donation, according to the continental body, will help secure up to seven million doses of the Covid vaccine for health workers across the continent.
Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda have reported the highest number of new cases, accounting for 90 percent of all the infections in Africa.
Africa has surpassed three million confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, with more than 1.2 million in South Africa.
Over 40 million vaccine doses, according to reports, have been administered in mostly wealthy countries since December 2020.
But middle- and lower-income countries are lagging far behind.
Africa seeks to vaccinate about 780 million people, representing some 60 percent of its population of 1.3 billion.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), 1.5 billion doses are needed, assuming two doses per person, estimating the effort will cost some $10 billion.
‘The devastating impact of Covid-19 has been unprecedented and profound. Public and private partnerships are needed if we are to succeed in the fight against the pandemic and restore social and economic norms for our continent and our communities’, President and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Group, Ralph Mupita, said in a statement.
Chairperson of the AU, President Cyril Ramaphosa, had announced the purchase of 270 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for the continent.
The AU chief said at least 50 million of the doses will be available in the months of April to June and the rest will be delivered before the end of 2021.
The purchase agreements, according to him, were negotiated by the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team established by the African Union.
‘Our goal is to ensure that all those who need the Covid-19 vaccine have access to it very quickly, but the biggest hurdle in Africa has been financing of the vaccines, and the logistics of vaccinating at scale’, Director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, said.
‘We therefore welcome the right partnerships, like the one with MTN, to achieve our minimum 60 percent vaccination target’.
‘We, therefore, welcome the right partnerships, like the one with MTN, to achieve our minimum 60 percent vaccination target’.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had called for a full commitment to COVAX – the global vaccine-sharing scheme.
Speaking at a WHO executive board session, the health body’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said it was not fair for younger, healthy people in richer nations to get injections before vulnerable people in poorer countries.
Source: African Union
Photo source: Africa CDC
