Uganda is targeting to inoculate at least 7 million people to fully reopen the economy by January. Its overall plan is to vaccinate at least 22 million people to contain the pandemic.
Currently, a total of 3.9 million doses of different types of vaccines received through donations and direct procurement have been administered in the campaign that started in March.
Uganda's Ministry of Health has received a total of 1,904,140 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine donated by the Canadian government.
“This first donation of the Canadian-financed vaccines to Uganda is a significant moment and a concrete example of global solidarity in action,” Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health, told Daily Monitor on Saturday.
“We, especially want to thank the government of Canada for the timely and critical support they made to Covax (a global vaccine sharing initiative) to make this possible,” she added.
Uganda is targeting to inoculate at least seven million people to fully reopen the economy by January. Its overall plan is to vaccinate at least 22 million people to contain the pandemic.
Currently, a total of 3.9 million doses of different types of vaccines received through donations and direct procurement have been administered in the campaign that started in March.
Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the spokesperson of the Ministry, said they are doing regional mass vaccination campaigns in order to increase uptake.
Canada’s acting High Commissioner to Uganda David da Silva said: “Canada is committed to a global effort to stop Covid-19 to address its devastating impacts on people around the world.
Since February 2020, Canada has committed more than $2.5 billion in international assistance in response to Covid-19.”
Dr Munir Safieldin, the United Nations Children’s Fund Representative (Unicef) to Uganda, said the Covid-19 crisis is a child rights crisis.
“The longer the pandemic goes on in Uganda, the more intense the impact on women and children. As a key Covax partner, Unicef Uganda appreciates the dose-sharing by the Canadian government,” he said.
“Vaccination is key to protecting our children and ourselves and building safer communities and societies that are free from harmful vaccine-preventable diseases. As we deploy vaccines against Covid-19, it is critical that children continue to have access to existing vaccines,” he added.
