Luanda - Angolan head of State João Lourenço Thursday appealed to the countries’ sensitivity in producing Covid-19 vaccines to ensure that the vaccine efforts prioritise all countries equally.
Joao Lourenço was speaking to the press shortly after he received the first dose of the vaccine in one of the four vaccination points opened in Luanda.
The president, who was accompanied by the first lady Ana Dias Lourenço, said that combined effort was crucial to combat the pandemic.
He said that it was necessary the producing countries bear in mind that no one is going to be saved alone: "We all save ourselves, rich and poor, powerful and non-powerful, or nobody will save", he said.
President João Lourenço justifies that not all countries, especially Africans, have the financial resources to purchase vaccines at the current prices.
Despite this situation, the Head of State was optimistic about the solution to this issue in the short term.
As for Angola, the president revealed that the country received 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca (in the framework of the Covax initiative) and 200,000 doses of offer from the Chinese Government.
However, Angola has received other offers in small quantities, including from business groups, to the extent of its possibilities.
The Head of State said he was aware that the Angolan Government cannot rely only on offers. "We have to buy vaccines and this effort is being made, despite the difficulties".
João Lourenço said that Angola also acquired six million doses of Sputnik V, which are still insufficient for current needs.
The current vaccination plan foresees to immunize about 54 percent of the Angolan population, the equivalent of 16.8 million.
