Japan supports Eswatini’s distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through Emergency Grant AID to UNICEF
Six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and 25 African countries including Eswatini will benefit from the Emergency grant from Japan.
MBABANE, 27 July 2021- The Government of Japan has extended Emergency Grant Aid of approximately 39 million US dollars to Latin America and the Caribbean and African countries that suffer from the impact of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
This assistance will provide 31 countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean and African region with cold chain equipment including medical equipment such as cold-storage facilities and transportation, as “Last One Mile Support” to ensure vaccination in each country, through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Currently, ensuring equitable access globally including in developing countries and accelerating vaccination is the common challenge for the international community towards the goal of containing COVID-19. Japan has been contributing to formulating the COVAX Facility, an international mechanism for the procurement of vaccines, and has already made financial contribution of 200 million US dollars in total. Japan’s Emergency Grant Aid this time aims to deliver vaccines to each and every person in the all corners of developing countries, which will complement efforts of the COVAX Facility.
Based on its experience in helping to build medical supply networks that reach every corner of developing countries, Japan will continue to extend support to deploy vaccines to every person in the world with a view to containing COVID-19 as quickly as possible.
Six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and 25 African countries including Eswatini will benefit from the Emergency grant from Japan.
The support from the Government of Japan is coming at an opportune time when cold chain for vaccines is needed more than ever before to ensure potency of all vaccines including COVID vaccines.
“We are very grateful to the Government of Japan for considering Eswatini for this grant which will improve cold chain and ensure vaccines are stored in required temperatures and will reach the people safely”, commented Chiara Pierotti, chief of Maternal Child Adolescent Health in UNICEF Eswatini.
Media contacts
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.
