The 151,200 doses of Johnson & Johnson offered to Senegal are part of the US commitment to provide, initially, at least 15 million of the 80 million vaccines globally to Africa.
By Edouard Toure
Washington has closely coordinated with the African Union and the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) on country-by-country allocations.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Dakar said the donation will help protect the Senegalese people from the ravages of Covid-19 and begin to remove obstacles to rebuilding the country’s economy.
“As we continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic at home and work to end the pandemic worldwide, President Biden has promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world,” the US embassy said.
It quotes President Biden as saying, “from the beginning of my presidency, we have been clear that we must address this virus globally as well. It is our responsibility – our humanitarian obligation to save as many lives as possible – and our responsibility to our values. We will help lead the world out of this pandemic, working alongside our partners around the world.”
USAID has provided Senegal with more than 4.7 billion CFA francs ($8,132,000) to slow the spread of the virus, mitigate its impact, strengthen disease surveillance efforts, improve care for those affected, and pave the way for mass vaccination campaigns.
TE/fss/as/APA