China will donate 100 000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to Congo Republic and forgive $13 million in public debt, its ambassador to the Central African country said on Thursday.
Ambassador Ma Fulin announced the measures after a meeting with Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso. He did not say which Chinese-developed vaccine would be provided.
The doses are enough to vaccinate 50 000 of Congo’s 5.1 million people.
Congo, which has recorded 8 060 infections and 122 coronavirus-related deaths has been allocated 420 000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for the first half of this year under the global COVAX vaccine-sharing facility.
As lower-income countries struggle to obtain doses, China is aiming to cultivate goodwill through so-called vaccine diplomacy.
It said on Monday that it was providing vaccine aid to 13 countries globally and planned to help a further 38.
Ma said the Chinese government would also forgive all public Congolese debt that was due before the end of 2020, an estimated $13 million.
China offered similar relief to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo last month.
Third wave of coronavirus expected in Africa
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says South Africa and the continent must prepare for a possible third wave of the coronavirus.
South Africa is the country worst affected by the pandemic in Africa and has only just procured a million doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine from India’s Serum Institute.
Mkhize says on the continent less than ten countries are able to self-finance with most needing the assistance of the WHO-led COVAX Facility to procure vaccines.
However, the facility is grappling wealthier nations to procure the vaccine.
Addressing a dialogue on the impact of the pandemic in Africa, Mkhize says this essentially means the supply to Africa may not be near enough to create herd immunity against the virus.
