United Nations:
The shipment of 360,000 Made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines that arrived in Yemen, as portion of the initial batch of 1.9 million doses it will obtain all through the year, is a “game changer” and a “milestone” in the fight against the pandemic in the nation, wellness officials have mentioned.
Yemen on Wednesday received 360,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped by means of the COVAX Facility, a partnership among the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF mentioned in a statement.
The AstraZeneca vaccines are licensed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and will allow wellness workers and other priority populations vulnerable to COVID-19 to be protected against the virus, it mentioned.
The 360,000 doses arrived with 13,000 security boxes and 1,300,000 syringes that are crucial for the secure and powerful roll-out of the vaccination campaign. This initial batch is portion of 1.9 million doses that Yemen will initially obtain all through 2021.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had tweeted: “Arrival in Aden. Made in India vaccines land in Yemen,” with the hashtag “VaccineMaitri“.
Arrival in Aden. Made in India vaccines land in Yemen.#VaccineMaitripic.twitter.com/ISs2LgNOZ0
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 31, 2021
UNICEF Representative Philippe Duamelle and WHO Representative Dr Adham Ismail took delivery of the vaccines in Aden, collectively with the Minister of Health and Population Dr Qasim Buhaibeh, and the Deputy Minister of Public Health and Population Dr Ali Alwaleedi.
“The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine doses is a critical moment for Yemen,” Duamelle mentioned.
“As COVID-19 continues to claim lives around the world, Yemen now has the capacity to protect those most at risk, including health workers, so that they can safely continue to provide life-saving interventions for children and families. Vaccines work, vaccines save lives, now let’s start getting people vaccinated,” he added.
Ismail mentioned the shipment represents an significant step in the fight against COVID-19 in Yemen.
“It will help save lives, including those at highest risk of serious disease, and will help protect the health system. These safe and effective vaccines will be a game changer, but for the foreseeable future we must continue wearing masks, physically distance and avoid crowds,” he mentioned.
Rehan Hafiz, Senior Country Manager Yemen, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance expressed delight that Sana’a has received its initial COVAX vaccine doses.
“We look forward to the launch of the vaccination campaign. Thanks to the work of the Government of Yemen and of the COVAX partners, and with the support of our donors, we are now able to protect our most vulnerable populations,” Hafiz mentioned, adding that their work is only starting, but the arrival of the initial COVAX COVID-19 doses is a important milestone for Yemen.
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with UNICEF as crucial implementing companion, as nicely as civil society organisations, vaccine suppliers, the World Bank, and other folks.
Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric also told reporters for the duration of the every day press briefing that Yemen received 360,000 vaccine doses shipped by means of the COVAX Facility.
“These vaccines, licensed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, will enable health workers and other vulnerable populations to be protected against the virus,” he mentioned.
Dujarric mentioned the initial batch of vaccines along with 13,000 security boxes and 1,300,000 syringes are crucial for the secure and powerful roll-out of the vaccination campaign in the nation.
Nearly 2 million doses are anticipated for Yemen this year, he mentioned.