Russia Offers 300 Million Sputnik V Doses to African Union

Roselyne Sachiti 

Features, Health and Society Editor

·    This includes a financing package for any member states wishing to secure this vaccine

·    Sputnik V vaccines will be available for a period of 12 months commencing by May 2021.

·    AVATT also said the 270 million doses previously secured from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnsons were all taken up by the first allocation phase deadline through the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP)

The Africa Vaccine Acquisition TaskTeam [AVATT] on Friday received an offer of 300 million Sputnik V vaccines from the Russian Federation.

AVATT was set up by the African Union to acquire additional vaccine doses to enable Africa to attain a target immunisation of 60 percent.

The offer includes a financing package for any member states wishing to secure this vaccine.

In a statement AVATT also said the 270 million doses previously secured from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnsons were all taken up by the first allocation phase deadline through the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP).

With these additional 300 million Sputnik V vaccines, AMSP accelerates online COVID-19 vaccines pre-orders for the 55 African Union member states.

“We are grateful to receive the Sputnik V vaccines from the Russian Federation and tremendously proud to be able to offer them on the AMSP for our AU Member States,” said Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

“Bilateral and private sector partnerships such as these are critical in our efforts to bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end”.

While details, including clinical and technical information, are now accessible on the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), Sputnik V vaccines will be available for a period of 12 months commencing by May 2021.

The 55 African Union member states were all invited to visit www.AMSP.africa and use their national access code – issued to all African Union member states’ Ministers of Finance and Health – to start the pre-order process.

AVATT also said African Union member states that wish to secure funding should approach the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) through their Central Banks, as has been the case with the other vaccines that have been on offer.

The Board of Afreximbank, last week, approved the USD$ 2 billion Advance Purchase Commitment for the participating suppliers, allowing the finalisation of supply contracts.