Officials at the health ministry have said Namibia is set to cough out between N$26million toN$29 million for future vaccine doses while other countries are being financially assisted to do so.
This is but a 15% upfront payment of the total that is needed.
This is just to secure vaccine dozes so that once the production begins, Namibia will not be elbowed out as the world races for a vaccine midst the pandemic storm.
But as the G20 countries met in September to discuss the global pandemic, Oxfam reported that wealthy nations representing just 13% of the world’s population had already cornered more than half (51%) of the promised doses of leading Covid-19 vaccine candidates.
So far Cabinet approval has already been granted for Namibia to be involved with the COVAX facility as the deadline for payments was almost lapsing, as “there were some processes that needed to be taken care of,” an official told Eagle FM this week.
But the payment has not been made yet.
At the same time, 64 higher-income economies have joined the COVAX Facility, a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure eventual COVID-19 vaccines reach those in greatest need, whoever they are and wherever they live.
“Namibia has an ambassador accredited to the UN office in Geneva and I am in contact with our ambassador in Geneva on these matters related to COVAX. So we are in constant engagement with the COVAX facility and there is no threat to Namibia’s participation in this facility,” said health executive director, Ben Nangombe.
So far, there is no Covid-19 vaccine.
Reports this week were that Johnson & Johnson’s clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine was paused after a volunteer came down with an unexplained illness.
The company did not disclose what the illness was, citing the participant’s privacy. The illness is still under investigation.