Chinese President Xi Jinping pledges to provide one billion doses of Covid vaccine to Africa (File)
Dakar:
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged to deliver one billion doses of a Covid vaccine to Africa, in a speech delivered via video link at the China-Africa summit near the capital. Dakar of Senegal.
The Chinese leader said that his country will directly fund 600 million doses of the drug. Another 400 million doses will come from other sources, such as investments in manufacturing sites.
Xi’s promise came as part of a forum between China and African nations, focused on trade and security, held in the city of Diamniadio near Senegal’s coastal capital.
China invests heavily in Africa and is the continent’s largest trading partner with more than $200 billion in direct trade in 2019, according to the Chinese Embassy in Dakar.
Vaccination rates in Africa are low compared to the rest of the world, with many states suffering from foreign funding due to a lack of local production facilities and the high cost of mass purchasing.
“We must continue to fight against Covid together,” Xi said at the summit. “We must prioritize protecting people and closing the vaccination gap.”
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