The African Union (AU) has announced that it is going to distribute 400 million doses of vaccines with a target of delivering at least 50 million doses to member states by the end of December.

The first shipment was dispatched on Thursday, August 5, destined to several member states with a monthly shipment totaling 6.4 million doses in the month of August, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa and African Union Covid-19 champion.

Earlier this year, Rwanda secured an order of 2.6 million doses through the AU’s African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) facility.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will pre-finance the procurement through a commitment guarantee of up to US$2 billion to the manufacturers on behalf of the AU member states.

The AVATT was established by the AU as a component in support of the Africa Vaccine Strategy that was endorsed by the AU Bureau of Heads of State and Government in August 2020.

An initiative by the AU Member States to pool their purchasing power on 28 March 2021, signed an agreement for the purchase of 220 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot Covid-19 vaccine, with the potential to order an additional 180 million doses.

By January 2022, it is reported that the number of vaccines being released will be in excess of 25m per month.

Ramaphosa said this will provide impetus to the fight against Covid-19 across the continent and will lay the basis for Africa’s social and economic recovery

"This is a momentous step forward in Africa’s efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of its people. By working together and by pooling resources, African countries have been able to secure millions of vaccine doses produced right here in Africa.”

Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said: "During the last months, we have seen the vaccination gap between Africa and other parts of the world widen, and a devastating third wave hit our continent. The deliveries starting now will help us get to the vaccination levels necessary to protect African lives and livelihoods.”

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the 400 million vaccines are sufficient to immunize a third of the African people and bring Africa halfway towards its continental goal of vaccinating at least 60 per cent of the population.

UNICEF In collaboration with the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), is providing logistical and delivery services to the Member States.

Strive Masiyiwa, African Union Special Envoy said "Delivering our first doses to African Union Member States is an unprecedented milestone. We are deploying relentless efforts to help each Member State to reach its goal of immunizing 60 per cent of Africans, as recommended by the Africa CDC.”

"Johnson & Johnson AVAT-purchased single-shot vaccines will enable us to considerably improve our vaccination level across the continent.”