27 Jul 2022

Botswana continues to benefit from its long-standing relations with France as signified by the European country’s latest donation of 302 400 doses of paediatric COVID-19 vaccine.

Receiving the donation in Gaborone yesterday, Minister of Health Dr Edwin Dikoloti said the vaccines would cater for children aged 5-11.

“As the ministry, we are happy to receive the consignment in order to augment our efforts to vaccinate the stated age group. We have already started mobilising the public to ensure a smooth rollout of the programme,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti said the gesture would ensure success of the children's programme.

He further acknowledged France’s continued assistance and willingness to join hands with other partners in ensuring that Botswana had access to COVID-19 vaccines.

France was among the many countries that saw it fit to support Botswana at the height of the pandemic when vaccines were not easily accessible to all, said Dr Dikoloti.

The minister said at the time, France came through with a donation of 200 070 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“The doses added to government efforts of ensuring that a wider population is covered in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

For her part, French ambassador Ms Laurence Beau said in order to meet the major health challenges at international level, France had adopted an approach based on values of solidarity and human rights. 

She said the approach was based on WHO’s classification that enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health was a fundamental human right.

“The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the need to implement approaches to health and in particular the One Health approach which can only be achieved in an integrated and inter-sectoral manner encompassing both human and animal health as well as the environment,” she said.

Ms Beau said in line with commitments made in 2021, her country had delivered 10 million doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines to African Union member states.

The vaccines were particularly crucial as the continent was currently grappling with the 5th wave of the pandemic, she said

She said France was strongly committed to increasing production and improving access to vaccines in Africa as illustrated by its support, through Team Europe, for the creation of the continent’s first mRNA vaccine technology transfer centre that opened in June last year.

Ms Beau said the initiative was aimed at developing a global public good in international health security while contributing locally to economic development, job creation and the research and innovation agenda.

“In Botswana, the COVID-19 pandemic has been handled admirably and I wish to commend the government for the seriousness with which it has dealt with the pandemic since day one. The country has one of the highest vaccination rates in Africa which stood at 63.5 per cent as of July 14. 

The discovery of the Omicron variant by Batswana scientists is another testimony of Botswana’s valuable contribution to the fight against COVID-19,” she said. ENDS