–U.S.A has provided over $28 Millon dollars to Zambia in fight against Covid 19
By Kelvin Mbewe
The United States of America says Zambia will soon receive another donation of 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in an effort to fight the covid 19 pandemic.
Zambia yesterday received a total of 151,200 does of the Johnson and Johnson single dose covid 19 vaccine.
And the United States says it has provided more than $28 million to fight COVID-19 in Zambia since the pandemic began.
U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires David Young said this morning when he held virtual meeting with journalists that belong to the Media Science café (Mesica) adding that the donations are free of charge.
“The United States is committed to leading the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating global vaccine distribution as the world’s single largest donor to COVAX. All countries, regardless of income status, need vaccines that meet rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness,” he said.
Mr Young said the US will continue aiding Zambia to ensure that covid 19 is put to an end.
“We lament the loss of life in Zambia due to COVID-19, especially during this tragic third wave and the delta variant. We will continue working together to put an end to the pandemic’s high toll on life, livelihoods, and secondary social and economic impacts,” he said.
He said the US is sharing the vaccines to save lives.
“Our vaccines do not come with strings attached. We are doing this with the singular objective of saving lives sharing these vaccines also serve as another example of the strength of our partnership and our commitment to Zambia,” he said.
Dr Young said the President of the USA Joe Biden is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that we have demonstrated at home.
“The vaccines were made available through the African Union COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility and are part of the U.S. pledge to provide at least 25 million of 80 million doses globally to Africa. The U.S. government coordinated closely with the African Union and Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on the country allocations, “he said.
He said the donation will help protect the Zambian people from the ravages of the COVID-19 virus and begin to reduce the barriers to building back the Zambian economy.
And Dr Young expressed optimism at this latest stage of the U.S.-Zambian relationship, reassuring U.S. support to assist Zambia to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The United States is proud to strengthen our friendship through the donation of these life-saving vaccines. The third wave of COVID-19 has been especially difficult in Zambia. Through these vaccines, and the additional U.S. shipments to come, we partner to save lives,” he said.
He said the 151,200 doses are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to share the U.S. vaccine supply with the world
“As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic at home and work to end the pandemic worldwide, President Biden promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world,” he said.
