BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
It was last year, 30 January 2020 that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), following the initial rapid expansion in confirmed cases globally.
As of early August 2020, has thus far resulted in over 18.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and close to 700,000 related deaths worldwide – this includes 891,943 COVID-19 cases and 18,893 related deaths in African nations. Although initially slow to spread in Africa, the impact of the pandemic has recently surged across the continent, registering a 120 percent growth in confirmed cases and 85 present growths in deaths from June to July 2020.
One of the big deal in the health sector is to access COVID-19 pandemic vaccine, because importing is getting its various chain of challenges, one the availability and the financial shortcomings.
The world is observing that the developed world is racing and absorbed in accumulating the vaccine for fellow citizens.
Ethiopia, as sources indicate, is also undertaking various activities to access COVID-19 vaccines in April through a number of channels and vaccinate its people.
According to Muluken Yohannes, Senior Advisor on Vaccination and related issues at the Ethiopia Federal Ministry of Health, (FMoH), the Ministry is working in collaboration with the Office of Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Office of Ethiopia President Sahle-Work Zewde to ensure COVID-19 vaccines start to enter Ethiopia soon.
As the Advisor told to The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), in addition, a taskforce, composed of members from development partners, government agencies, the Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders has been established to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine related activities.
The taskforce will also be given the responsibility to evaluate the performance of COVID-19 vaccine distribution activities, follow-up on COVID-19 related educational programs for the society, as well as control the quality and safety of COVID-19 vaccines imported into the country.
Last month, the Ethiopia Deputy Minister of Health, Sahrela Abdullahi said that there are plans to provide COVID-19 vaccines to up to 20 percent of the east African country’s total population.
Abdullahi added that Ethiopia aims to roll out COVID-19 vaccines to its population in the coming months once preparatory works such as provision of laboratory materials are completed.
The Ethiopia Deputy Minister of Health further said that East African countries aim to partly cover the financial cost for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccines through assistance from development partners.
“As a board member of COVAX platform, Ethiopia also expects to get COVID-19 vaccine supply support for its goal of vaccinating 20 percent of its population,” said Abdullahi.
COVAX, officially known as the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, is a global collaboration that aims to speed up the development, production and fair distribution of new COVID-19 vaccines.
As Africa’s second most populous nation, Ethiopia is one of the countries hit by the pandemic in Africa, after South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.
Ethiopia has recorded 138,384 COVID-19 cases and 2,103 COVID-19 related deaths as of the first week of the month.
The Ethiopian Herald February 11/2021
