United States Donates More COVID-19 Vaccines to Mozambique

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

In late August, the US government donated 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and plans another 3.5 million more doses in the coming weeks in tremendous and recognizable efforts to support the goal of vaccinating approximately 5 million children between the ages of 12-17 in the Republic of Mozambique.

This donation obviously marks a significant expansion in Mozambique’s COVID-19 effort by extending protection from adults to adolescents.

Critical to ensuring the safe preservation of these vaccines, UNICEF and the Government of Germany via COVAX, supported the Ministry of Health to establish the necessary ultra-cold chain capacity in the country. Additional support came from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to deliver the necessary syringes.

With this delivery, the US government has now donated over 5.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Mozambique. These donations are part of the larger US government-coordinated effort to support Mozambique’s response to COVID-19 and strengthen Mozambique’s resilience to the virus and its variants. The long-standing US-Mozambique partnership in the health sector has resulted in an effective response to the pandemic.

During a ceremony marking the arrival of these vaccines, US Ambassador to Mozambique Peter H. Vrooman said “The United States is honoured to be a strong partner of Mozambique in the health sector for decades. We are committed to doing all that we can to help Mozambique reach high vaccination rates among its entire population. Because of displays of solidarity, we have shown great resilience against this virus.”

The United States is committed to leading the global COVID-19 response, having committed over $19 billion in health, humanitarian, and economic assistance, becoming the largest donor to the global effort to vaccinate people around the world. The US government has also purchased over 1.2 billion vaccines for low-income countries and donated 600 million vaccines from the United States’ own supply.

In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, the US government provides more than $500 million in annual assistance to improve the quality of education and healthcare, promote economic prosperity, and support the overall development of the nation.

In November 2021, the United States offered 840,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines and that was the third bilateral COVID-19 vaccine delivery to Mozambique, bringing the total number of US-donated vaccines to 1,478,000 and maintaining the United States as the largest bilateral vaccine donor to Mozambique to date. The United States previously donated 336,000 vaccines in September and 302,400 in July the same, according to official reports.

The American government also previously gave assistance valued at $62.5 million. This assistance includes 60 oxygen cylinders donated to the Mozambican Ministry of Health this month, 50 ventilators, personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, laboratory and oxygen equipment, training, and funding for increased medical staff, among other initiatives.

The Mozambican government’s target is to vaccinate about 16.8 million people. Mozambique shares borders with South Africa where a new variant (B.1.1.529), renamed Omicron, is currently spreading. With an approximate population of 30 million, Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. It is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).