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WHO Lifts COVID-19 PHEIC Status, but Warns Pandemic Not Over

by Brian Yatich
written by Brian Yatich

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Friday announced that COVID-19 will no longer be categorized as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

This decision was made following a recommendation from the WHO Emergency Committee for COVID-19, which met every three months since the PHEIC was declared in early 2020.

The lifting of official PHEIC status is a sign of the progress made in the past year, getting most countries to a solid baseline of coverage, including with support from COVAX which has focused efforts on lower-income countries.

Global coverage with a primary series (two doses) of COVID-19 vaccine stands at 64% on average, and at 55% on average in the 92 lowest-income countries (compared to 28% at the beginning of 2022).

On average, the majority of healthcare workers and older adults across the world – among those at greatest risk – are protected with two doses, and are starting to receive boosters. The countries furthest behind have made remarkable progress.

However, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also noted that this news does not mean COVID-19 is “over as a global health threat.” Several PHEICs have not been related to pandemics, and several sustained epidemics or “pandemics” have not been assigned PHEIC status.

The WHO Director-General also stressed that the world must remain vigilant, as the virus continues to evolve. He urged countries to continue to monitor the situation closely, and to be prepared to take action if needed.

“The lifting of PHEIC status is a positive step, but it is important to remember that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. We must continue to take precautions to protect ourselves and our communities, and to be prepared for future waves of the virus”, Dr. Tedros warned.

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Covid-19HealthLeadershipOpinion

Africa faces another vaccine apartheid in the fight against monkeypox

by Dr. Echey Ijezie
written by Dr. Echey Ijezie

Even after the novel coronavirus exposed glaring flaws in the world’s collective ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, we are seemingly back to the old ways, as evidenced by the global response to the now endemic monkeypox. The world may once again lose a chance to control a pandemic.

 

The zoonotic viral disease, which is already endemic in 10 countries in West and Central Africa, only drew the world’s attention after affecting people in rich countries in the Global North. Even after the disruption caused by Covid-19, wealthy countries’ self-destructive unwillingness to cooperate for the benefit of the entire global population is evident again.

 

This year, there have been dozens of monkeypox cases in Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic (CAR), with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reporting the highest number of infections with over 2,938 cases and 110 deaths. As of Sep. 9, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (A-CDC) reported 4,244 total cases (520 confirmed, 3,724 suspected) and 124 deaths. There are nearly 58,000 cases globally, with 125 countries reporting at least one case.

 

African health officials still face the challenge of undercounting due to limited surveillance and testing capacity, which explains the vast discrepancy between confirmed and suspected cases. Additionally, the absence of vaccines for front-line healthcare workers and laboratory technicians in affected countries puts them in imminent danger.

 

In July of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the global monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Researchers in Africa had hoped that the declaration—the highest alarm by WHO outside of a pandemic—would alert the world to support Africa’s fight against the disease. Sadly, that has not been the case.

 

The WHO PHEIC label means that a coordinated international response is needed to unlock funding and global efforts to collaborate on sharing vaccines, technologies, and treatments. Researchers and health officials in Africa are wary that, as with the Covid-19 vaccine apartheid against African countries, the continent will continue to be sidelined in its bid to secure enough vaccines.

 

To date, though WHO member states have pledged more than 31 million smallpox vaccine doses to the global body for smallpox emergencies — these vaccines have never been shared with Africa for use against monkeypox.

 

Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals’ blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions. Infections in humans occur by handling infected monkeys, Gambian giant rats, and squirrels, with rodents the most likely reservoirs of the virus. The current outbreak is the largest in history outside of Africa, and human-to-human cases primarily occur among men who have sex with men.

 

Symptoms include fever, intense headache, swelling of the lymph nodes, back pain, muscle ache and, lack of energy. There could be skin rashes that begin on the face and spread to other parts of the body [including the genitals] and evolve to pustules and crusts, according to A-CDC.

 

Scientists have identified the existence of two known virus strains in the endemic regions in Africa, with the Congo Basin showing more lethality with a mortality rate of up to 11% in some of the outbreaks. According to WHO, the monkeypox fatality rate is typically 3-to-6%.

 

The WHO reports that monkeypox appears more common in squirrel, rat, and shrew species, occasionally spilling over into the human population, spreading mainly through close contact. Isolating infected people typically helps limit transmission.

 

WHO also indicates that the vaccine against smallpox, a far deadlier and more transmissible virus, also protects against monkeypox. But the world stopped using it in the 1970s, shortly before smallpox was declared eradicated.

 

However, wealthy nations still hold stockpiles of smallpox vaccines, which have been used in the UK, US, France, and Canada to protect people who have come in close contact with monkeypox patients, but few lower-income countries have vaccine access.

 

There is now a seemingly concerted global response that has seen vaccines distributed in some countries after confirmed cases of the disease in Portugal, Spain, the U.S., and the UK. However, Africa is so far in for another episode of unconscionable vaccine apartheid in its fight against this latest monkeypox outbreak due to vaccine hoarding by wealthy countries.

 

Accordingly, another opportunity presents itself for African leaders to amplify their voices in a combined effort to demand that G20 leaders prioritize global vaccine access for all nations, particularly developing countries, when faced with a disease that has the potential to be endemic globally.

 

Dr. Echey Ijezie is the Country Program Director of AHF Nigeria

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AviationCovid-19

Fly 748 Calls For Collaboration To Enhance Air Safety Standards Post-COVID

by Brian Yatich
written by Brian Yatich

Fly 748 has called for closer collaboration to enhance safety standards as airlines across the industry are on a recovery path post-COVID.

According to Moses Mwangi, the airline’s Managing Director he says there is still a huge opportunity for local airlines to partner in including oversight in areas of reporting and investigations and safety data information sharing.

“We need to adopt a more aggressive approach to manage recurrent operational risks, and learn from each other while incorporating international best practices if we are to uphold and rise even higher in bolstering our safety standards,” said Mwangi.

Mwangi spoke ahead of a three-day conference on air safety in Mombasa. The 33rd International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA), the regional meeting brought together over 200 air traffic controllers and other aviation professionals from across Africa and the Middle East.

Kenya Air Traffic Control Association President, Joshua Ngere has reaffirmed their commitment to air safety to manage a growing number of travellers taking it to the sky.

“We need to re-strategise air traffic control as it increases post-COVID. we have working papers that will help us deal with the growing numbers,” said Ngere.

Ngere called on all stakeholders to maintain high standards of training and strict adherence to rules and regulations as well as standards set either by the industry at the international or at the operator level.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director General, Emile Nguza said the only way to work together to bolster the industry is through collaborations from the operator’s, regulator and service provider’s side.

“Each one of us should learn to exchange different experiences that we encounter so we may give a certain level of exposure to stakeholders who may not necessarily realise that a particular challenge in the field is an urgent concern,” said Nguza.

Fly 748 was among the airlines, air operators, equipment suppliers, and aviation training schools that showcased their products and service offering at the conference.

“This is a forum that exposes aviation professionals to critical aeronautical information, their link to aviation safety and track commitments made by operators,” said Mwangi.

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Kenyan Scientists Keep Tabs on COVID-19 Spread in Africa
AfricaCovid-19Health

Kenyan Scientists Keep Tabs On COVID-19 Spread In Africa

by Ndungu Brian
written by Ndungu Brian

In a major new publication last week in Science magazine, a ‘dream team of 300 African scientists, including a group from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya, described the introduction and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variants in African countries as it unfolded in real-time.

This was the largest consortium ever of African scientists and public health institutions working together to support a data-driven COVID-19 response in Africa.

“ILRI is delighted to have partnered with such an impressive group of scientists,” said ILRI senior scientist Dr. Samuel Oyola, a specialist in genomics and molecular biology. Dr. Oyola holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Cambridge, UK.

The genomics lab at ILRI is one of the three centers of excellence for genomic surveillance recognized and appointed by the African Centres for Disease Control (CDC).

The collaboration was led by two labs that set up the network for genomics surveillance in South Africa, the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University and KRISP, the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform KRISP at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in close coordination with the Africa CDC, the World Health Office-Africa (WHO AFRO) and 300 other institutions across the continent.

Kenyan Scientists Keep Tabs on COVID-19 Spread in Africa

Team of Kenyan Scientists who Kept Tabs on COVID-19 Spread in Africa led by the chief scientist, Dr. Samuel Oyola

The paper is titled ‘The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.’ Dr. Oyola and his team’s contribution was testing and analyzing the SARS-CoV-2 genome by sequencing using modern high throughput genomic technologies.

“The sequencing data has helped to track SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Kenya and the continent thereby helping the public health officials to monitor transmission dynamics and develop informed measures to control the spread of the virus in real-time,” he says.

Investment in Africa over the past year with regards to SARS-CoV-2 genotyping has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, exceeding 100,000 genomes generated to track the pandemic on the continent.

The scientists’ results show an increase in the number of African countries able to sequence within their own borders, coupled with a decrease in sequencing turnaround time. But they warn that sustained investment for genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve, particularly in the low vaccination landscape. These investments are very crucial for preparedness and response to future pathogen outbreaks.

The publication highlights the fact that sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa was needed to not only help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but establish a platform to address the emerging, re-emerging, endemic infectious disease threats, such as Ebola, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said Yenew Kebede, Head Division of Laboratory Systems and Networks at the Africa CDC Vaccine development. ‘These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century.’

But the publication also showed—at least by implication—how the international response has failed (and continues to fail) some of the world’s poorest countries. The study shows, for example, that while most introductions of COVID-19 variants in Africa were seeded from viral lineages in Europe, Africa was often penalized with travel bans by the very countries that had introduced the virus to Africa.

‘There are many lessons to learn from this work,’ said Dr. Oyola, ‘not all of them happy.’ He added: ‘But the swift increase in genetic sequencing capacity on the continent is clearly a major positive development. ILRI is playing a critical role in developing the capacity for pandemic preparedness and response in Africa through our advanced molecular and genomic technologies.’

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CS Kagwe lifts mandatory wearing of face masks
Covid-19News

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe lifts the mandatory wearing of face masks

by Ndungu Brian
written by Ndungu Brian

CS Mutahi Kagwe has today announced the lifting of mandatory wearing of face masks in public places which had been imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, Kagwe eased the containment measures and encouraged people to maintain social distancing to ensure risk of spread is limited.

He however encouraged the wearing of masks during indoor functions to curb the spread of Covid-19 disease.

“All Kenyans to continue to adhere to social measures, ensure frequent hand washing, sanitizing and exercise personal responsibility,” he said.

“Our measures in conjunction with counties have saved lives. Based on guidance from WHO, we have contained the virus and as you can see in the last month, the positivity rate has been below one percent,” he added

As a result of the low positivity rate that is currently being experienced in the country, sporting activities will see spectators allowed back in venues without masks and in full capacity.

Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) have also now been allowed to resume carrying passengers at full capacity without masks mandates.

“These measures may be reviewed at any time based on prevailing pandemic situations. Police are, however, warned not to harass Kenyans over the revision of these measures,” he said.

The Ministry of Health imposed a nationwide mask mandate on April 3, 2020, at the height of Covid-19 infections together other measures such as social distancing which have already been lifted

 

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Covid-19 has wiped out over five years of Africa's progress - Report
Covid-19IndustrySpecial reports

Covid-19 has wiped out over five years of Africa’s progress – Report

by Brian Yatich
written by Brian Yatich

A new report released Wednesday finds that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed an estimated 30 million people in sub-Saharan Africa into extreme poverty, wiping out more than five years of progress.

The damning report released during the ongoing Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore, titled Long Covid: Jobs, Prices and Growth in the Enduring Pandemic, indicates that even as the continent works to resuscitate the economy, it will still not be enough to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 – a target that was already a stretch before the pandemic hit.

The Bloomberg Economics Special Report speaks to the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic poses for growth, inflation and development globally. A piece titled Half a Billion in Poverty and Counting: How Covid Derailed Africa’s Development Goals models how a lost year of growth has affected poverty reduction goals in Africa.

The turn of the century saw Africa’s economy on an upward trajectory due to reduced conflict, allowing for better economic policies and increased macroeconomic stability.

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative in the early 2000s led to a substantial reduction in debt levels, freeing up domestic resources and improving donor relations. Increased trade and buoyant commodity prices also played a role, with GDP per capita in resource-rich countries growing twice as fast.

This resulted in better living standards for the populations — people became healthier, access to basic services such as water and sanitation improved, school enrolment increased, and the share of people living below the World Bank’s extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day fell from 58% in 2000 to 42% by 2015.

Since 2016, growth has faltered. The slowdown started a year after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals — the universal call to eradicate poverty by 2030 through progress on 17 integrated goals that range from health, education, inequality and climate change. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag behind on most of the goals. Most notable is the lag in poverty reduction; before the pandemic in 2019, Africa had more than 60% of the world’s 700 million poor.

The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to throw the region further behind. In 2020, sub-Saharan Africa plunged into its first recession in more than 25 years, erasing at least five years of progress in fighting poverty.

Economists forecast that lost ground won’t be recovered until 2024, when we expect per capita output to return to pre-pandemic levels. Sluggish vaccine rollout means many countries will continue to deal with virus outbreaks that delay the safe reopening of their economies.

Rising debt service costs will continue to squeeze out much-needed development spending even when the virus effects fade.

The persistent impact of the pandemic on incomes means the poverty rate would translate into almost 25 million more people living in poverty, compared with pre-Covid estimates.

Source: World Bank

To make notable progress on poverty eradication, Africa will require immense support from the international community given the region’s limited resources. To address this gap, funding from official creditors including the IMF, the largest providers of external debt, remain crucial for sub-Saharan Africa.

Over the past 20 years, China has become one of the largest creditors on the continent and has seen its share of debt owed rise from about 40% in 2010 to more than 63% at the end of 2019. The West’s share meanwhile, has halved from around 30%.

Beijing is now looking to deepen its ties with the region through the Belt and Road Initiative, a plan to advance development priorities by investing in infrastructure projects around the world. More than half of the 60-plus recipient countries are in Africa, increasing incentives for China to play a bigger role in the sub-Saharan area’s fight against poverty.

Done right, increased engagement with China promises to build needed infrastructure and open new routes to trade, helping deliver on Africa’s poverty reduction goals. Done wrong, it threatens to add to the debt and block the development of native manufacturing industry, adding to the region’s many other challenges.



The Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore is convening over 495 participants in-person and virtually including public and private sector leaders from around the world, including representatives from Africa to contribute to new thinking on pathways toward a global recovery as the world reels from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joining from the Forum’s new, innovative group of Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts are Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE (Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone), Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa (Founder and Executive Director of Chil Artificial Intelligence Lab, Uganda), Alloysius Attah (Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Farmerline, Ghana), Nthabiseng Mosia (Co-Founder, Easy Solar, Sierra Leone) and others.

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Covid-19

Kenya receives more doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccine

by Brian Yatich
written by Brian Yatich

The Kenyan government has received  a further 504,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which arrived in the country on Thursday evening.

The latest consignment was acquired through the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) mechanism.

The vaccines were received by officials from the Ministry of Health at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The Ministry says the consignment will go a long way in supplementing what the Country has so far saying the vaccination exercise is now going on well.

They urged Kenyans to get vaccinated saying there are enough doses for same.

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KEPSA Covid-19 Press Briefing 15.09 (1)
Covid-19Health

KEPSA led covid-19 vaccination begins, targets ‘herd immunity’

by Contributor
written by Contributor

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has outlined 55 locations, where covid-19 vaccinations will be hosted for private-sector employees, their families, and neighbouring communities.

The first phase of the private sector-led vaccination effort that is aimed at boosting Government efforts for the country to reach herd immunity sooner, will be administered with the help of seven hospitals approved by the Ministry of Health. The seven are Avenue Hospital, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, Meridian Hospital, MP Shah Hospital, Metropolitan Hospital, Karen Hospital and Nairobi Women’s Hospital.

According to KEPSA, the vaccinations will take place on different days starting September 13th, through to October 8th, 2021. Those interested in being vaccinated are reminded that they will be required to follow the assigned date schedules and that no money should be paid before receiving the single dose, Johnson & Johnson jab.

“All persons being vaccinated must bring their National ID or Passport to the vaccination venues. A second registration may be required by some hospitals through their tracking portals, and we urge all our members to ensure their staff and dependents register using the online links that have been provided in addition to the official Ministry of Health portal before going for vaccination”, said Carole Kariuki, KEPSA Chief Executive Officer.

An anticipated 60,407 doses are expected to be administered at designated business premises of KEPSA member organizations. Grouped per hospital for efficient logistics, some of the 263 participating KEPSA member organizations who will host the vaccinations over the next four weeks include, I&M Bank, Simba Corporation, Ushuru Pension, Deloitte, CarePay and ICEA Lion.

Other participating host organizations are Osho Chemicals, M-Gas, Twiga chemicals, Twiga Foods, EABL, BAT Kenya, NCBA Bank, Absa Bank, Ecobank, Sameer Africa, KCB Bank, NBK, Cooperative Bank, Ernst & Young, Kenya Aeroclub, 4G Capital, L’Oréal, PKF Foundation and Dalberg Research.

“This entire initiative will help accelerate the pace of vaccinations and to get us closer to herd immunity as we strive to rebuild back better. At KEPSA we shall be hosting 15 member companies where we hope to administer 1300 doses on 15th and 16th September”, said Kariuki, adding that phase two of the process expected to commence in early October will focus on the counties across the country.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, KEPSA has worked closely with the government and other partners to cushion Kenyans and businesses particularly SMEs against the adverse effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic following a signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in May 2021, for private sector vaccine rollout.

Under the MOU, for every employee and family members vaccinated, the participating companies will commit to meeting the costs of vaccinating up to five additional persons in the community, in the spirit of inclusivity in combating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, general health, and social wellbeing of Kenyans.

KEPSA, the private sector apex body was charged with creating a coordinating mechanism, aggregating the private sector demand and to collaborate with Government and other partners on accessing the needed supplies within the shortest time possible.

All vaccine procurement, storage and distribution are being handled by the Ministry of Health while the administration is being done in concert with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, according to the National Covid-19 Vaccination guidelines.

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Our global pandemic requires local solutions
Covid-19Opinion

Our global pandemic requires local solutions

by William Asiko and Kennedy Odede
written by William Asiko and Kennedy Odede

Race to the Starting Line

From January through to March each year, predictions for the new year shower websites and social media portals. Trends to watch for in the development sector are no different. In 2021 we’ve been urged to keep an eye on shifts to decolonize humanitarian aid. However, this is not a new idea. It continues to be discussed and, more importantly, practised. “The shift from power to proximity and poverty” represents this smouldering trend. Then came a great wind in the form of the global pandemic.

The Covid-19 situation

We live in extraordinary times where humanity is battling a global pandemic that has led to economic and social disruption. The Covid-19 virus is causing a dramatic loss of human life and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems, technology, and the world of work.

By 2045, the world’s urban population is projected to reach six billion. Emerging economies, like Kenya, will have to endure this rapid growth but without the capacity to handle these challenges. As a result, urban poverty will explode. According to United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 29% of the global population live in slums. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that number jumps to an astounding 54%, and in Kenya, nearly half, 46.5%, of all citizens live within informal settlements.

Covid-19 has decimated these micro-economies, and people in the slums are more concerned with hunger than the virus. Most jobs are tied to the local economy, and the average income is less than $2.00 per day. Those fortunate to have had jobs outside these settlements, primarily service industry workers, have had their hours cut or lost their jobs entirely. The economic impact on these communities is devastating.

We have observed that traditional efforts aimed at development have fallen short as the architects and funding of solutions have not emanated from the people or locations under threat. These challenges are mainly systematic and require both new thought and new approaches.

There is increasing recognition of the need for a shift in how development is done worldwide. Substantial transformational progress must promote peer-driven change over traditional ‘top-down’ approaches that treat marginalized communities as beneficiaries rather than change agents.

Private donors are also bringing this vision to life. The Rockefeller Foundation is one such organization committed to solving complex social problems at the grassroots level. In October 2020, the Foundation announced that it would dedicate US$ one billion over three years to help end the Covid-19 pandemic and drive a more inclusive, green recovery worldwide. One hundred days after this landmark announcement, the Foundation committed US$ 35 million to support Covid-19 response efforts in Africa and to address critical underlying challenges that perpetuate inequality. To achieve these ambitious goals, the Foundation must continue to work with several key partners in areas that have historically fueled inequalities and poor health.

The Rockefeller Foundation invests in solutions that create local jobs and drive economic inclusion and organizations with a proven methodology to bring new opportunities in education, healthcare, and small businesses through platforms that reward community-led development.

Shining Hope For Communities (SHOFCO) is one such partner organization, a poster child for community-led solution implementation. SHOFCO is a grassroots movement that catalyzes large-scale transformation in urban slums, reaching 2.4 million Kenyans across 17 informal settlements.

To boost the Covid-19 response in Africa, SHOFCO is working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health (MOH) to expand Covid-19 testing and tracing efforts to include Nairobi’s most marginalized communities. Their approach aims to certify community-based health care clinics as official Covid 19 vaccine distribution points. Such a solution is expected to bring healthcare, social stability, and economic healing to those communities that have been disproportionately affected by the virus.

A Catalyst for Change

There is a need to recognize the hundreds of local solution providers who truly understand marginalized communities’ challenges. That is why The Rockefeller Foundation and partners supported the inaugural World Communities Forum, which reflects on the growing ‘localization revolution’ within the worldwide development community, a first-of-its-kind.

The annual event, conceived and hosted by SHOFCO, aims to flip the dynamics of conventional high-level forums that focus on the global elite rather than amplify local leaders’ voices on the front lines of vulnerable communities worldwide.

By collaborating with local solution providers such as members of the Global Alliance for Communities, governments can benefit by achieving goals, like herd immunity and economic stability, faster than going at it alone. Like the Kenyan Ministry of Health and SHOFCO collaboration, supporting partnerships also assures that large, private donors, like The Rockefeller Foundation, lead the way in building capacity and catalyzing sustainable investments that aid governments and communities along their journey to self-reliance.

William Asiko is the Rockefeller Foundation Managing Director, Africa Regional Office and Kennedy Odede is the Shofco Founder and CEO

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On Monday, 880,460 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi.
Covid-19

Over 880,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive in Kenya

by Wanjiku Mbugua
written by Wanjiku Mbugua

On Monday, 880,460 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi.

The vaccines – which form the first of two shipments totalling 1.76 million doses – were donated by the United States Government via the COVAX facility and transported by UNICEF. This is the first time that Moderna vaccines have been received in Kenya and widens the portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines available for the national vaccination rollout.

The flight was met at the airport by senior Kenya Government officials led by Ministry of Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr Mercy Mwangangi and Principal Secretary (PS) Susan Mochache, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Eric Kneedler, UNICEF Representative to Kenya Maniza Zaman and World Health Organization (WHO) Officer in Charge, Health System Cluster Lead Dr Mona Almudhwahi. 

“We are very grateful to the US Government for this generous donation of Moderna vaccines,” Ministry of Health PS Susan Mochache said.

“This will greatly support the ongoing rollout of Kenya’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and help us reach the target announced by His Excellency President Kenyatta to vaccinate 10 million Kenyans by the end of December 2021. Vaccination is now open to all Kenyans over the age of 18. I would like to emphasise that all WHO and Government of Kenya approved vaccines, including the AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines, are safe and effective. Members of the public will receive available vaccines at the health centre they visit, upon registration in the Chanjo System, Portal.health.go.ke.”

“This donation builds on the United States partnership with the Government of Kenya in response to COVID-19,” said US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Eric Kneedler. “These life-saving vaccines will fill an important need at a critical time in Kenya’s fight against this pandemic.”

We are very grateful to the US Government for this generous donation of Moderna vaccines

The roll out of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign is being led by the Ministry of Health (MoH), with support from WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and other partners. As well as procuring and transporting COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF is supporting MoH in the distribution of the vaccines, procuring, deploying and managing the vaccines’ cold chain equipment.

UNICEF and WHO are also supporting MoH with planning, technical support, capacity building, risk communication and community engagement.

“This generous donation of Moderna vaccines from the US Government is a welcome boost to Kenya’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign,” UNICEF Representative to Kenya Maniza Zaman said. “All vaccines available through COVAX are safe and effective and I would urge all Kenyans to get vaccinated as soon as advised to do so by the Ministry of Health. Once again, UNICEF is delighted to offer our full support in getting these vital COVID-19 vaccines to Kenya. We urge the international community to continue supporting Kenya to further increase the availability of vaccines. Globally, no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

The World Health Organisation has so far approved six COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, including Astra Zeneca and Moderna. The organisation has emphasised the safety of approved vaccines and urged Kenyans to maintain public health measures while the national vaccination campaign is rolled out.

“Getting vaccinated is a choice and responsibility and I can assure Kenyans that all vaccines approved by WHO are safe and effective,” WHO’s Dr Mona Almudhwahi said. “The best vaccine is the first one that is offered to you – we urge all eligible Kenyans to get vaccinated. It is also essential that we continue with public health measures such as mask wearing, regular hand washing, social distancing and avoiding congested spaces and gathering.”

The vaccines arrived through the global COVAX initiative, which is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, civil society organisations, manufacturers, and others. COVAX is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

“We know that the COVID-19 pandemic will not end in one country until it has ended in all countries,” said Rachel Belt, Senior Country Manager for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, speaking from Geneva. “COVAX has built a diverse portfolio of vaccines suitable for a range of settings and populations and is on track to meet its goal of delivering at least 2 billion doses of vaccine to participating countries around the world in 2021, including in Kenya.”

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