In a boost for equitable distribution in Africa, 800,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shots touched down in Khartoum, making Sudan the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to receive the vaccine, according to a press release from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

This delivery follows the arrival on 26 February, of 4.5 metric tons of syringes and safety boxes – funded by GAVI, the vaccine alliance, and delivered by UNICEF. 

Meanwhile, Rwanda also received 240,000 doses from the same manufacturer and anticipates 102,000 more shots from Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA, which is set to arrive on Wednesday, the UN agency said.  

A sigh of relief 

Both African nations will launch vaccine drive that will initially target essential health workers and vulnerable groups.  

“Our hope in recovery from the pandemic is through the vaccines”, said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Sudan, adding that they “have reduced

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) report, launched ahead of World Hearing Day 2021 on Wednesday, says that in less than 30 years, nearly 2.5 billion people globally face the threat of hearing loss – at least 700 million of whom will require ear and hearing care as well as other rehabilitation services, unless action is taken. 

That figure would mark a significant increase from the current 430 million people worldwide who are experiencing “disabling hearing loss”.  

“Our ability to hear is precious. Untreated hearing loss can have a devastating impact

1) What is COVAX?

COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) is the vaccines element of the ACT-Accelerator programme, led by the WHO and international partners, to develop a set of tools to fight the virus. WHO says that the programme has supported the fastest, most coordinated, and successful global effort in history to fight a disease.

The aim is to distribute two billion doses, mostly to poorer countries, in 2021, and immunise 27 per cent of their citizens.

“No one is safe until everyone is safe”, has been a World Health Organization (WHO) mantra since the beginning of the global COVID-19 health crisis. However, richer countries had the resources to pre-order vast quantities of vaccines, ensuring that their populations were first in the queue when pharmaceutical companies got the green light to deliver doses, prompting UN human rights experts to warn against “vaccine hoarding”, and insist that vaccines must be

The delivery of AstraZeneca/Oxford jabs, following the first historic shipment to Ghana earlier this week, showcases an unprecedented international parternship to provide at least two billion doses of coronavirus shots by the end of this year.

The vaccine doses were shipped by UNICEF from the Indian metropolis of Mumbai, via its regional supply centre, Dubai, to Côte d’Ivoire’s capital, Abidjan, as part of the first wave of vaccines headed to several low and middle income countries.

Equitable shots

“Today is an important first step towards achieving our shared vision of vaccine equity, but it is only the beginning”, said Jean-Marie Vianney Yameogo, the WHO Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, adding that “we are proud that Côte d’Ivoire is among the first countries in Africa to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine through the COVAX Facility.”

As the COVID-19 global pandemic has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and disrupted billions more, Mr.

While welcoming the historic resolution and upholding the importance of vaccine equity, he said that “concrete steps should be taken” to waive intellectual property rights to increase vaccine production “and get rid of this virus as soon as possible”. 

“The virus has taken the whole world hostage”, Tedros said. “The UN Security Council can do it, if there is political will”. 

The Council resolution calls for review of specific cases raised by the UN, where access to vaccinations is being hampered and to “consider what further measures may be necessary to ensure such impediments are removed and hostilities paused.” 

Vaccine deliveries 

Tedros noted that Côte d’Ivoire had received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with more to be shipped to other countries in the days and weeks ahead – with the goal of getting vaccination underway in all countries within the first 100 days of the year. 

Crediting the