Emmency Nuukala
The Chinese government will donate a staggering one million Sinopharm vaccine doses to complement Namibia’s Covid-19 fight, ambassador to Namibia Zhang Yiming announced this week.
The donation will form part of the one billion doses’ pledge, which President Xi Jinping declared to Africa during the opening ceremony at the eighth Forum on China–Africa Cooperation ministerial conference held on 29 November 2021.
“I hereby announce that as a concrete implementation initiative of this declaration, China will donate another one million doses of Sinopharm vaccine to Namibia, on top of the previously promised 200 000 doses, making the total 1.2 million doses,” Yiming said this week during the donation ceremony of 35 oxygen generators to the ministry of health. That donation was made possible by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.
“China will remain committed to supporting Namibia in its fight against the pandemic and economic recovery, and working with Namibia to maintain and develop the all-weather friendship at all levels,” he observed.
Deputy minister of health Esther Utjiua Muinjangue accepted the donation on behalf of Government, and praised the good relationship between the two countries.
“On behalf of the government and the ministry, I acknowledge, appreciate and affirm that the donation of 35 oxygen concentrators will indeed enhance treatment, care and support in our respective health facilities,” she added.
The first 100 000 doses of Sinopharm, which was donated in March 2021, enabled health authorities to roll out their initial vaccination campaign.
Vaccine hesitancy, fuelled by misinformation and conspiracy theories, has bedevilled Namibia’s quest to reach herd immunity.
Muinjangue said the current vaccination status indicates that 356 599 people are fully vaccinated, translating to 20.0% of the total target population (1 779 271).
In November last year, Namibia announced that more than 268 000 doses of AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Pfizer (PFE.N) Covid-19 vaccines would be destroyed due to a slow uptake by citizens.
The country also started vaccinating 12-to 17-year-olds with the Pfizer vaccine in November after the WHO said it is suitable for people in that age group.
So far, only 3 388 children have received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, representing 1.1% of the target population (307 298).