AstraZeneca committed to helping governments reach vaccination targets

COVID-19 vaccine-producing firm, AstraZeneca, says it is committed to expanding and accelerating vaccine supply to the African region and beyond to help governments reach their vaccination targets.

The Company made the commitment in a statement issued by Madam Barbara Nel, the Country President for Africa, AstraZeneca, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra to mark the first anniversary of COVAX vaccines delivery in Africa.

A year ago, it delivered the first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to countries across the world through the COVAX initiative as part of the largest global vaccination drive in history.

On February 24, 2021, 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines were received by health authorities in Ghana.

Within days, the Ivory Coast received 504,000 doses and since then, more than 310 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered through COVAX to 130 countries.

An estimated 70 million doses have reached sub-Saharan Africa, making the AstraZeneca vaccine one of the most used COVID-19 vaccine across the continent to date.

The statement said as part of the Company's commitment to putting broad and equitable access at the heart of its pandemic response, AstraZeneca was proud to be the first global pharmaceutical company to join COVAX in 2020.

“Our strong partnerships with the Serum Institute of India (SII), GAVI – the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation are vital to delivering on our commitment to supply Africa with the COVID-19 vaccine at no profit,” it added.

It commended the work being done by governments across the continent to increase immunisation coverage and to protect citizens from severe disease.

According to global estimates, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has helped prevent 50 million COVID-19 cases and five million hospitalisations, helping save more than one million lives.

AstraZeneca and its partners have released for supply more than 2.6 billion vaccine doses to more than 180 countries across every continent, with approximately two-thirds going to low- and lower-middle-income countries.

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.

Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.