U.S. Pledges to Provide about 25 Million COVID-19 Vaccine for Africa in Coming Weeks

July 21/2021 (ENA) U.S.A announced that it would share about 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine with the AU in the coming weeks to enhance coverage across the African continent and contribute to the AU target of vaccinating at least 60 percent of the African population.

Some 49 African countries will benefit from the donation made through Africa CDC to COVAX member states, it was learned.

Out of this, the U.S. government provided Ethiopia on Monday with 453,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as part of the U.S. pledge.

During an online meeting today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs Akunna Cook said the U.S. commitment to the health sector in Africa is part of the long-standing partnership with the continent.

“We are doing this to ensure that Africa can meet the challenges of this pandemic and then be prepared to meet any health security challenges coming in the future; and that is why we are also partnering to invest in vaccine manufacturing on the continent. So this is just the latest in a long line of policy initiatives in Africa focused on health security,” she added.

Defeating the virus everywhere in the world and seeing countries become resilient, including in Africa, is essential, she noted, adding that "Africa is a priority to this administration."   

Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security, Gayle Smith told journalists that “we want to see Africa defeating this pandemic and we want to see Africa being resilient.”

She added that U.S.A has invested 100 billion USD in sub-Saharan region countries to improve the health sector in the past 10 years.