Only 323,000 people vaccinated in Mozambique to date

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Only 323,000 people vaccinated in Mozambique to date

7:47 CAT | 24 May 2021

Photo: O País

The Mozambican health authorities have vaccinated 323,097 people against the Covid-19 respiratory disease, according to Health Minister Armindo Tiago, cited by the independent television station STV.

This is about 10.5 per cent of the total Mozambican population. Based on the 2017 population census, the National Statistics Institute (INE) estimates the current population of the country at 30.832 million.

Since children are not being vaccinated, and around half the Mozambican population is under 15 years old, the real target for vaccination is 16 million. So far, just over two per cent of this target has been reached.

The numbers vaccinated so far are well below what would be desired, said Tiago. “These figures are still a long way from our expectations”, he said, “and show that there is a long path ahead of us to achieve the targets necessary to protect our population”.

Speaking during a ministerial meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, Tiago noted that many African countries, like Mozambique, face a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines. To overcome this problem, he thought it urgent that Africa should produce its own vaccines rather than rely on imports.

Not only was there a worldwide shortage of vaccines, but Tiago believed there has been a lack of solidarity with African countries.

Rich countries in the northern hemsphere have been buying up many more doses of Covid-19 vaccine than they need, and few have diverted the surplus vaccines to Africa.

Much of the world has been relying on the Serum Institute of India for its vaccines. The Institute is the world’s largest producer of vaccines, and manufactures the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, under the name Covishield.

But the disastrous impact of Covid-19 on India itself has forced a halt to the export of vaccines, which is likely to last until the end of the year.

India was the main source of vaccines for the Covax initiative, set up by the World Health Organisation to ensure that vaccines would be available for low and middle income African countries. Now Covax and its backers are scrambling to find other sources.

To date, Mozambique has received 200,000 doses of the vaccine produced by the Chinese Sinopharm company, donated by the Chinese government, and 484,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine. 100,000 doses were donated by the Indian government and 384,000 doses were provided through the Covax facility.

Millions more doses are needed in the very near future, if the Health Ministry is to have any hope of approaching its target.

Source: AIM