The Government of Japan has extended an emergency grant worth $1,640,442 (sh5.8b) to Uganda to boost the country's COVID-19 response.
The assistance channelled through the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, will provide Uganda with cold chain equipment including medical equipment such as cold-storage facilities and transportation, as "Last One Mile Support" to ensure vaccination in the country.
Uganda is among 31 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa that have benefited from a $39m Japanese Government emergency aid extended to countries suffering from the impact of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
"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 US$200 million," Hidemoto Fukuzawa, the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Uganda was quoted as sayiing in a statement.
Japan's emergency aid grant, this time around aims to deliver vaccines to each and every person in all corners of developing countries, which will complement the efforts of the COVAX Facility.
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, and the World Health Organization (WHO), working in partnership with UNICEF as key implementing partner. UNICEF is handling the procurement and delivery of the vaccines and related supplies on behalf of the COVAX Facility.