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Africa News for Friday, March 5, 2021
Source: GNA
2021-03-05
Rwanda has budgeted 50 billion Rwandan francs for vaccines
Rwanda has budgeted 50 billion Rwandan francs (about 51.2 million US dollars) to buy COVID-19 vaccines for more than 7.8 million people by 2022, Health Minister Daniel Ngamije said on Wednesday.
The government will spend at least two-thirds of the total budget, as some vaccines are expected to come in as donations or through COVAX, a United Nations-led mechanism that aims to provide equitable access to COVID-19 injections for countries. poorer. Ngamije told National Broadcaster, Rwanda Television during a news program.
Rwanda received 240,000 doses of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine on Wednesday, the country’s first batch purchased through COVAX.
More than 102,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are scheduled to arrive Wednesday night.
According to the government, Rwanda is talking to multiple partners, including international organizations and other governments, to purchase additional vaccines.
“Our goal is to buy affordable but effective vaccines that are at least 80 percent effective,” Ngamije said.
As of Wednesday, Rwanda has recorded a total of 19,198 COVID-19 cases, with 17,569 recoveries and 265 deaths.
