The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says
it will deliver 220 million doses of COVID vaccine to all 55 member states of
the African Union (AU) by the end of 2022.
In a statement on Thursday, the agency announced that it has
signed an agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV to supply up to 220
million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) single-dose vaccine.
It aims to deliver about 35 million doses by the end of
2021.
“The agreement between UNICEF and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV
will help implement the Advance Purchase Commitment (APC) signed between the
African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) and Janssen in March of this year.
That agreement secured an option to order another 180 million doses, bringing
the maximum access up to a total of 400 million doses by the end of 2022,” the
statement reads.
The statement revealed that UNICEF will procure and deliver
COVID vaccines on behalf of the AVAT initiative. Other partners include the
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World
Bank.
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF executive director, said: “African
countries must have affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines as
soon as possible. Vaccine access has been unequal and unfair, with less than 1
per cent of the population of the African continent currently vaccinated
against COVID-19. This cannot continue.”
“UNICEF, with its long history of delivering vaccines all
around the world, is supporting global COVID-19 vaccinations efforts through
AVAT, COVAX, and other channels to maximize supply and access to vaccines.”
While multiple vaccines are anticipated to be part of the
initiative’s portfolio, Janssen’s single-dose vaccine is the first to be
included.
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