South Africa has agreed to deliver over of two million Covid-19 doses to fellow African countries, with a 79,200 batch of the vaccines to be handed over to Liberia on Friday, Deputy International Relations and Cooperation Minister Candith Mashego-Dlamini said on Wednesday.
The medication would also be handed over to Sierra Leone this week, the deputy minister said.
“It is envisaged that South Africa’s contribution of 79,200 doses of the Covid-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccines shall deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation with Liberia, and enhance our friendship and relations with the people and government of Liberia,” Mashego-Dlamini said.
Pretoria signed an agreement with the African Vaccination Acquisition Trust (AVAT) to supply more than two doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to fellow African countries, the deputy minister said.
The agreement was signed through the African Renaissance Fund (ARF), with the vaccines produced at the giant pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Gqeberha, South Africa, operated by Aspen Pharma, she said.
AVAT was formed following the establishment of the African Union’s Covid-19 African Vaccination Acquisition Task Team in November 2020 by President Cyril Ramaphosa as the then chairperson of the AU.
NM/jn/APA