Timor-Leste receives 168,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Japan

DILI, 16 AUGUST 2021 – Timor-Leste received a total of 168,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Government of Japan through the COVAX Facility. The vaccines were airlifted into Timor-Leste om 13 August on a flight chartered by UNICEF utilizing a part of the US 1 billion contribution from the Government of Japan to the COVAX Facility.
The batch of COVID-19 vaccines were officially handed over by Masami Kinefuchi, Ambassador of Japan to Timor-Leste, to Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, H.E. Taur Matan Ruak, at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation on 16 August.
Also present at the event were H.E. Armanda Berta dos Santos, Vice Prime Minister and Chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment; H.E. Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; H.E. Dra. Odete Maria Freitas Belo, Minister of Health; Julião da Silva, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; Members of National Parliament; Bilal Durrani, UNICEF Representative; Dr. Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative; a Representative from the UN Resident Coordinator’s office; and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Ministry of Health.
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – in partnership with UNICEF as the implementing partner, as well as civil society organisations, vaccine manufacturers, the World Bank, and others. The COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) is achieving a multilateral response to the pandemic crisis, leveraging the expertise of multilateral agencies, the resources of donors and the commitment of recipient counties, to support global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
“Japanese Government has provided various assistance to support Timor-Leste fight against COVID-19. Through JICA, through UNICEF, through UNDP and through ADB and the World Bank, Japan has funded various projects of more than 16 million USD in total,” said Masami Kinefuchi, Ambassador of Japan to Timor-Leste. “Today, Astra Zeneca vaccines produced in Japan, amounting to 168,000 dozes arrived here. This is a part of what our Prime Minister promised in June, when he convened COVAX Vaccine Summit with GAVI. I hope this additional provision of vaccines will contribute to alleviating COVID-19 pandemic situation in this country.”
The 168,000 doses handed over today by Japan are in addition to the 500,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated by the COVAX Facility for 20 % of Timor-Leste’s population identified as the priority group.
COVAX partners have been supporting governments and partners around the world to prepare for and implement COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. In Timor-Leste, UNICEF and WHO are supporting the Government of Timor-Leste to implement the national vaccine deployment plan.
The COVAX Facility and provision of vaccines are supported by generous funding from the Governments of Australia, Bhutan, Canada, Colombia, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Team Europe, United Kingdom, the United States of America and several other donors and institutions.
ABOUT COVAX
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with UNICEF as the key partner, as well as civil society organisations, vaccine manufacturers, the World Bank, and others. In the Americas, the PAHO Revolving Fund is the recognized procurement agent for COVAX.
The Advance Market Commitment is funded through the generosity of governments, private sector, philanthropic and multilateral partners, See the AMC donor table for a complete list of pledges. The AMC is an innovative financial mechanism to help secure global and equitable access for COVID-19 vaccines.
Notes to Editors
Full COVAX News Note to Editors: https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax/covax-news-note-to-editors
List of donor pledges to the Gavi COVAX AMC: https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/covid/covax/COVAX-AMC-Donors-Table.pdf
UNICEF COVAX page https://www.unicef.org/supply/covax-ensuring-global-equitable-access-covid-19-vaccines
For further information, please contact:
Ministry of Health:
Ivo Ireneu Da Conceicao Freitas, Head of Pillar 2, Ministry of Health COVID-19: ivoireneudcf@gmail.com
Raul Sarmento, Head of Protocol, Ministry of Health: raulsarmento2@gmail.com
Inter-Ministerial Committee for Vaccine Deployment:
Dra. Danina Coelho, Spokesperson and Health Advisor to the Prime Minister (Tetun, Portuguese and English): daninacoelho@hotmail.com
UNICEF
Rukshan Ratnam, Communication Specialist (English): rratnam@unicef.org; +670.77. 231.103.
Antonio Gomez, Communication Officer (Tetun): angomez@unicef.org; +670.77.232.441
WHO
Lisa Hasan, Communication Officer (English and Tetun): hasane@who.int; +670.77.099.494
Shobhan Singh, Communication Specialist (English and Tetun): singhsho@who.int.
UN Resident Coordinator’s Office
Ahmed Saleem, Communications Officer: mohammed.saleem@un.org ; +670-7409-3047
Embassy of Japan
Kazumi Yamada, acting Deputy Head of Mission, kazumi.yamada@mofa.go.jp; +670-7723-1121
Marlina Gama, Public Relations Advisor, gama.marlina@di.mofa.go.jp
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Timor-Leste simu vasina COVID-19 doze 168.000 hosi Japaun
Dili, 16 Agostu 2021 – Timor-Leste simu vasina COVID-19 doze 168.000 doadu hosi Governu Japaun liu hosi COVAX Facility. Vasina sira ne’e lori hosi aviaun mai Timor-Leste ho aviaun aluga hosi UNICEF uza parte kontribuisaun hosi Governu Japaun ba COVAX Facility.
Pakote Vasina COVID-19ofisialmente entrega ona hosi Masami Kinefuchi, Embaxador Jaoaun iha Timor-Leste ba Primeiru Ministru Timor-Leste Sua Exelensia Taur Matan Ruak, iha serimonia mak halao iha Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru no Koperasaun iha loron 16 fulan Agostu.
Marka prezensa mósiha serimonia ne’e Sua Exelensia Armanda Berta dos Santos, Vice Primeira Ministra no Prezeidente Komite Interministerial ba Implementasaun Vasina COVID-19; Sua Exelensia Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, Ministra Negosiu Estranjeiru no Koperasaun; Sua Exelensia Sra. Odete Maria Freitas Belo, Ministra Saúde; Julião da Silva, Vise Ministru Negosiu Estranjeiru no Koperasaun; Membru Parlamentu Nasional; Bilal Durrani, Reprezentativu UNICEF; Dr. Arvin Mathur, Reprezentativu OMS; Reprezentante hosi eskritoriu Kordenador Rezidente ONU; no ofisial sira hosi Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru no Koperasaun ho Ministeriu Saúde.
COVAX, pilar aselerador vasina asesu ba instrumrntu sira COVID-19 nian (ACT), lidera hamutuk liu husi koalizaun ba inovasaun preparasaun ba epidemia sira (CEPI, sigla Inglés), Alianasa ba vasina (Gavi), no Organizasaun Mundial Saúde (OMS) – servisu parseria ho UNICEF nudar parseiru implementador, no mós organizasaun sosiedade sivil sira, fabrika vasina sira, Banky Mundial, no sira seluk. COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC, sigla Inglés) hatan ona multilateralmente ba krizi pandemia sira, aproveita ajensia sira-nia esperiensia multilateral, rekursu husi doador sira no kompromisu país reseptor sira, hodi apoia asesu ekuitativu ba vasina COVID-19.
“Governu Japaun oferese ona asistensia barak hodi apoia Timor-Leste funu hasoru COVID-19. Liu hosi JAICA, hosi UNICEF, liu hosi KNUD no liu hodi BDA no Banku Mundial, Japaun finansia ona projetu hamutuk liu USD millaun 16,” dehan Masami Kinefuchi, Embaxador Japaun iha Timor-Leste. “Ohin loron, vasina AstraZeneca produz hosi Japaun, ho montante doze 168.000 too ona iha ne’e. Ida ne’e hanesan parte promesa ami-nia Primeiru Ministru ih fulan Juñu, wainhira nia konvoka iha Reuniaun Altu Nive Vasina COVAX ho GAVI. Hau hein provisaun vasina adisional sira ne’e sei kontribui ba aleviasaun situasaun pandemia COVID-19 iha país ne’e.”
Vasina doze 168.000 mak entrega ohin loron hosi Japaun mak vasina COVID-19 adisional 500.000 aloka ona hosi COVAX Failicity ba prusentu 20 ba populasaun Timor-Leste mak identifikadu hanesan grupu prioritariu.
Parseiru COVAX apoia ona governu sira no parseiru sira iha mundu hode prepara ba implementasaun kampaña vasinasaun COVID-19. Iha Timor-Leste UNICEF ho OMS apoia dadaun Governu Timor-Leste hodi implementa planu vasinasaun nasional.
Parseiru COVAX sira no fornesimentu vasina sira apoia ona ho jenerozidade fundu husi Governu Australia, Bhutan, Canada, Colombia, Republika Korea, Kuwait, Monako, Nova Zelandia, Qatar, Saude Arabia, Singapura, Ekipa Europa, Reinu Unidu, Estadus Unidus Amerika no doador seluk balu ho instituisaun sira.
KONA-BA COVAX
COVAX, pilar vasina sira husi Aselerador Instrumentu Asesu ba COVID-19 (ACT), hanran Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), Gavi, Aliansa ba Vasiba Gavi no Organizasaun Mundial Saude (OMS) – servisu parseria hoUNICEF hanesan parseiru xave, no mós organizasaun sosiedade sivil sira, fabrika vasina sira, Banku Mundial, no sira seluk. Iha Amerika PAHO Revolving organiza akizisaun husi COVAX.
Advance Market Commitment finansia husi jenerozidade governu sira, setor privadu, parseiru filantrópiku multilateral sira, Haree AMC donor table atu hetan lista promesa kompletu sira. AMC ne’e mekanisnu finanseirul inovador hodi ajuda garante asesu global no ekuitativu ba vasina COVID-19.
Notas ba editor sira:
Full COVAX News Note to Editors: https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax/covax-news-note-to-editors
List of donor pledges to the Gavi COVAX AMC: https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/covid/covax/COVAX-AMC-Donors-Table.pdf
UNICEF COVAX page https://www.unicef.org/supply/covax-ensuring-global-equitable-access-covid-19-vaccines
Ba informasaun liutan, favor kontaktu:
Ministériu Saúde:
Ivo Ireneu Da Conceicao Freitas, Head of Pillar 2, Ministry of Health COVID-19: ivoireneudcf@gmail.com
Raul Sarmento, Head of Protocol, Ministry of Health: raulsarmento2@gmail.com
Komisaun Inter-Ministerial ba Implementasaun vasina:
Dra. Danina Coelho, Spokesperson and Health Advisor to the Prime Minister (Tetun, Portuguese and English): daninacoelho@hotmail.com
UNICEF:
Rukshan Ratnam, Communication Specialist (English): rratnam@unicef.org; +670.77. 231.103.
Antonio Gomez, Communication Officer (Tetun): angomez@unicef.org; +670.77.232.441
Organizasaun Mundial ba Saúde:
Lisa Hasan, Communication Officer (English and Tetun): hasane@who.int; +670.77.099.494
Shobhan Singh, Communication Specialist (English and Tetun): singhsho@who.int.
Eskritóriu Residente ONU:
Ahmed Saleem, Communications Officer: mohammed.saleem@un.org ; +670-7409-3047
Embaixada Japaun:
Kazumi Yamada, acting Deputy Head of Mission, kazumi.yamada@mofa.go.jp; +670-7723-1121
Marlina Gama, Public Relations Advisor, gama.marlina@di.mo
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 Timor-Leste and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org/timorleste