Skip to main content

WHO suspends Nigeria’s free coronavirus vaccines over poor electricity supply

 The World Health Organisation has suspended Nigeria from the list of recipients for its global COVAX scheme, which provides free coronavirus vaccines to indigent countries.

The global health agency disclosed Thursday that Nigeria fell short of its criteria to benefit from the scheme, which includes the ability to keep the vaccines frozen. Africa’s largest economy would, therefore, not be getting supplies until WHO’s requirements have been fully met to avoid vaccine loss or damages.

Nigerian authorities had been reliant on handouts from the WHO-funded COVAX programme, anticipating the delivery of a shipment of 100,000 Pfizer jabs last month.

Following stalled arrival of the vaccines, administration officials had blamed “politics” and “logistics due to no fault of Nigeria” for the delay.

Humanitarian information portal ReliefWeb reported WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, to have said at a virtual press briefing Thursday that only Cape Verde, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia were qualified to take delivery of the inoculation, out of 13 countries that applied from the continent.

Ms Moeti hinged the suspension of Nigeria and eight other African nations on inadequate storage facilities, which she said, posed a high propensity for wastage of the jabs.


“This vaccine has received WHO Emergency Use Listing but requires countries to be able to store and distribute doses at minus 70 degrees Celsius,” she noted.

The WHO official added: “Regulatory processes, cold chain systems and distribution plans need to be in place to ensure vaccines are safely expedited from ports of entry to delivery. We can’t afford to waste a single dose.”

Nigeria has been grappling with power supply shortages for decades, making it difficult for the country to achieve the regular flow of electricity required to keep the vaccines frozen before being administered.

The President Muhammadu Buhari administration had repeatedly assured that Nigeria had secured adequate storage facilities to preserve the long-expected Pfizer vaccines while describing contrary assertions from medical experts as false.

With the latest announcement by WHO, Nigeria has been left high and dry with no immediate shipment of vaccines expected in the country, despite a frightening surge in COVID-19 infections.

Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Mamora, had recently told Bloomberg that Nigeria was yet to make purchases for COVID-19 vaccines.

Mr Mamora told the American news media that authorities were still in the process of accessing affordable options, storage and distribution issues.

Source: today.ng

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Government Extend NIN-SIM Linkage by one month

The Nigerian government has declared that more than 51 million Nigerians have been enrolled for the National Identification Number (NIN), which is currently needed for significant exercises including getting a global visa and a driver's permit.  The figure was reported in a joint press proclamation by the spokespersons of the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Identity Management Commission.  The authorities additionally said the public authority has stretched out the cutoff time for inhabitants to interface their SIM cards to their NIN. The cutoff time was stretched out to May 6. PRESS STATEMENT   NIN Database Exceeds 51 Million Records as FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage by One Month The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, FNCS, FBCS, FIIM, chaired the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on the NIN-SIM data linkage. The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the EVC/CEO of the Nigerian Communic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ready, set, let’s go: Delta gives customers more ways to reclaim the joy of travel

Global airline’s people-first approach continues with landmark moves that boost loyalty rewards, simplify travel and reignite the experience Delta customers can now look forward to industry-first loyalty rewards, digital tools that make it simple and seamless to satisfy travel requirements, more seats to more destinations, and new and classic onboard refreshment options. Consumer confidence and deman d for travel are growing as COVID-19 vaccinations accelerate, and Delta is welcoming customers back with new travel experiences – all while enhancing the Delta CareStandard health and safety commitment the airline has become known for during the pandemic. Delta is launching new digital resources to make travel planning easier, including an interactive map that is searchable by price and destination type; offering SkyMiles Members the ability to earn up to 75 percent more toward Medallion Status on most ticket types, including Award Travel, in a first for the industry; reintroducing ...
Post a Comment
Read more

AFI’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Joburg to unlock the city’s fashion potential

AFI’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Joburg to unlock the city’s fashion potential From 7-9 March, African Fashion International (AFI), in partnership with Mercedes-Benz, will host the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg (MBFWJ) at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown Cultural Precinct with two other shows on off-site venues to be confirmed. This will reinforce Johannesburg as a world-class African city that serves as the global market’s gateway into the continent. AFI seeks to further echo fashion as big business with a host of potential in South Africa by attrracting the city’s talented and successful designers. The line-up of designers this season, which includes the likes of David Tlale, Thula Sindi, Suzaan Heyns and Fabiani, is testament to AFI’s commitment to excellence in presenting the best in creative innovation and commercial success. In cementing Joburg’s role as a fashion capital, AFI is excited by its partnership with the City of Joburg. “Partnering with AFI to host the...
Post a Comment
Read more