West African nation, Sierra Leone will on Thursday receive 200,000 doses of the Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine Sinopharm, the health ministry has disclosed.
Interestingly Sierra Leone’s official infection rate is far below that of the West, having recorded 3,880 cases since March, and 79 deaths.
But the country is nonetheless in the middle of the second wave of Covid-19 infections, which forced the government to impose a nationwide curfew last month.
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On Thursday, the health ministry said China had donated 200,000 doses of Sinopharm, which were due to arrive the same day.
Beijing has also donated 201,600 disposable needles and syringes, it added.
Sinopharm is 79-percent effective against Covid-19, according to its developers.
It is being rolled out in other African countries, including Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, and Senegal.
Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Hu Zhangliang said that ‘we are supporting Sierra Leone with the COVID-19 vaccine at a time when countries around the world are struggling to have the vaccine.’
Hu called on the Sierra Leonean authorities to put the precious vaccine into good use to save the nation from the COVID-19.
The country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Solomon Jamiru expressed his government’s appreciation to China for helping Sierra Leone fight against the pandemic and assured that they will continue to work with the Chinese medical teams to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
