By PETER SICHALI
THE United States (US) has committed an additional K36.75 million ($1.75 million) to provide technical assistance to Zambia’s vaccination campaign.
US Chargé d’Affaires David Young said his government worked closely with Zambia throughout the duration of the pandemic to protect public health, strengthen the response to Covid-19 to and save lives.
Mr Young said the funds would provide critical technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health for planning, coordination, and delivery of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for Zambians.
He said US partners would provide timely support for the rapid deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine plans, including the coordination of various stakeholders and implementation of the vaccination process.
“These funds will also support supply chain logistics of the Covid- 19 vaccination campaign, including assistance in maintaining the cold chain, which is vital for safe delivery of the vaccine” Mr Young said.
Mr Young said he was looking forward to continuing support throughout Zambia’s vaccination rollout.
The American government, he said, would continue to work with the Ministry of Health on the nationwide communication activities to ensure citizens have accurate information about vaccines and the vaccination process.
Mr Young commended the Zambian government on the approval of its Covid-19 vaccination programme.
He said Covid-19 vaccinations are critical to controlling the pandemic, slowing the emergence of new variants, and helping to restart the global economy.
“In support of the global vaccination effort, the United States recently announced an initial K42 billion ($2 billion) obligation – out of a total planned K84 billion ($4 billion) – to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, making the United States the single largest contributor to global COVID-19 vaccine access,” Mr Young said.
