The EU will spend $143 mn on vaccinations in poorer countries
Key takeaways:
- On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU would increase spending to boost vaccinations in African countries that are lagging behind.
Despite receiving COVID-19 vaccine supplies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the EU would increase spending to boost vaccinations in lagging African countries.
African countries started their vaccine rollouts much later than wealthier countries, which were able to secure the limited vaccine doses initially available in late 2020.
Despite receiving COVID-19 vaccine supplies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU would increase spending to boost vaccinations in lagging African countries.
African countries started their vaccine rollouts much later than wealthier countries, which were able to secure the limited vaccine doses initially available in late 2020.
According to figures from Gavi, a nonprofit global immunization alliance, supplies have risen exponentially in the latest months, and many states are having difficulty absorbing them. Some nations, such as Congo and Burundi, have used less than 20% of available doses.
At a conference in Dakar, Senegal, von der Leyen said, "We must make efforts to accelerate immunizations, especially in African nations where immunization rates are the lowest."
She stated that the EU would spend an additional 125 million euros ($143 million) to assist countries in training medical personnel and administering doses, on top of the 300 million euros already committed by the EU and its member states.
According to an EU official, the EU's message to Africa should now shift "from vaccines to vaccination."
However, von der Leyen stated that the EU would continue to send vaccines to Africa to deliver 450 million immunizations by the summer, three times the current volume.
Gavi, which co-runs COVAX, the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine-sharing program, reported that 67 percent of the 91 poorest countries it supports had received COVID-19 shots.
Gavi, which co-runs COVAX, the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine-sharing program, reported that 67 percent of the 91 poorest countries it supports had received COVID-19 shots.
But a few African nations were lagging much behind. According to Gavi, Zambia, Chad, Madagascar, Djibouti, Somalia, Burkina Faso, and Uganda had only utilized about one-third of the doses they had received.
So far, only about 10% of Africans have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The short shelf life of vaccines, limited storage facilities, poor healthcare infrastructure, and vaccine hesitancy, according to EU diplomats, are among the major obstacles to vaccination in Africa. (1 dollar = 0.8741 euro) (Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio and Edward McAllister contributed reporting; Richard Chang edited the piece.)