By Shelleygan Petersen, WINDHOEK, Namibia
Only N$2 million (Namibian Dollars) is left of the government's
Covid-19 budget, although the health ministry maintains funding is available
for the vaccine rollout.Health minister Kalumbi Shangula
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the finance
ministry made available N$727 million specifically to fight the pandemic, and
to date, the ministry only has 0,3% of the total funds still available.
Health minister Kalumbi Shangula maintains that the funds left are
still sufficient for the Covid-19 fight, and treasury is set to allocate more
funds in the next budget announcement.
The minister could not reveal the government's vaccination rollout
plan or how much the government planned to spend on the vaccines, the rollout
plan and if there is a specific budget meant for Covid-19 vaccines.
“This [Covid-19] vaccination rollout plan will be funded through
the already established vaccination programme in the ministry. [...] I do not
have the exact figures right now but it will be funded through that programme,”
he said.
Namibia is expecting its first doses of the Covid-19 vaccines from
the Covax facility by the end of this week. To date, the government has paid
N$29 million for the vaccine.
Initially, the first payment was for Namibia to get vaccines for
20% of the population or 508 200 people.
The government also signed a Financial Commitment Agreement on 5
November 2020 for the remaining
US$9 096 780 (roughly N$140,2
million).
Medical aid funds agreed to pay for the Covid-19 vaccine on behalf
of their members, said Namibian Association of Medical Aid Funds.
The costs of the logistics of the Covid-19 vaccine are yet to be
determined.
The impact of the rollout remains unknown, although discussions
around the procurement are ongoing.
At least 60% of the population needs to be vaccinated to achieve a
sufficient level of herd immunity.
Namibia is expected to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine by
Saturday through the Covax facility.
The country is set to receive over 127 200 doses after the World
Health Organisation gave it the green light for emergency use.
Meanwhile, the Namibia Medical Regulatory Council has not yet
approved the vaccine for use in the country and is busy with the necessary guidance
and regulatory oversight.
Last week, China donated an additional 100 000 Covid-19 vaccine
doses to Namibia.
The health ministry is busy with the logistical arrangements to
get the vials in the country.
Vaccines developed by Chinese companies Sinopharm and Sinovac are
already being rolled out globally.
Apart from the Covax Facility, Namibia is in discussion with
governments and manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines in countries such as China,
the Russian Federation, India and the United States of America to secure
additional vaccine supplies to cover the remaining 40% of the population.
Shangula said all the vaccines that are currently available are
acceptable to Namibia.
“The choice of the vaccine takes into consideration the
availability of the vaccine, cold chain imperatives and of course the cost,
among others,” he said.
WHO Africa urged governments to focus more on setting up systems
to manage the logistics and supply chain for vaccines, reaching refugees,
migrants and internally displaced people and financing national vaccination
campaigns.
In the last two months, Namibia has recorded
203 Covid-19 related deaths as the country has been experiencing a downward
trend since January. - Africa
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