The United States of America (USA) says there is no strings attached to its global health support for Worldwide Covid-19 vaccines.
The U.S. believes that Covid-19 and its third wave, the Delta Variant, cannot be stopped anywhere in the world without stopping it everywhere in the world.
Gayle Smith, United States Department Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security, says the Biden administration is in the process of delivering the 25 million doses promised the African Union.
According to her, the United States is working closely with the African Union, governments, and COVAX to get the vaccines on the ground as quickly as possible.
She said the 500 million doses promised by President Biden at G7, will also start moving in August, and a significant portion of those will also be deployed to Africa.
“You cannot stop this pandemic anywhere in the world without stopping it everywhere in the world,” she said.
The Biden administration recognised that Africa, as in every other region of the world, had to be a part of meeting the challenges of this pandemic. And that meant getting vaccines out and getting shots into arms as quickly as possible.
Speaking at a Digital Press Briefing on the U.S. donation of Covid – 19 vaccines to the African Union, she emphasised that the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines is built on a longstanding partnership the US has had in Africa focused on health including PEPFAR, Malaria response among others.
“We’re doing this to ensure that Africa can meet the challenges of this pandemic and then be prepared to meet the challenges of current health security and any health security challenges coming in the future,” she added.
On her part, Akunna Cook, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, said US is pleased to be delivering safe and effective vaccine doses across Africa and the world, with the first vaccines being delivered to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Senegal and many more to come in the coming weeks.