Algeria is encountering an increase in cases of Coronavirus infections, but that does not stop it from showing solidarity with the rest of the continent. The Algerian Ministry of Defense declared yesterday Monday, January 24 that it will convoy food and vaccines by plane to 3 African countries: Mali, Tunisia and Niger.
Yesterday evening, the Algerian Minister of Health, Abderrahmane Benbouzid, gave more details on this affair. We learned that 108 tons of food and 400,000 doses of vaccine will be sent to Bamako, which is behind in vaccination with no more than 6%… “It is in the execution of an instruction from the President of the Republic who brought us together last Wednesday. He instructed us to dispatch 400,000 for Mali, for Niger 400,000 doses and one million doses for Tunisia”, declared Benbouzid on Canal Algérie, TSA reports.
This January 25… Algiers will correspondingly send 300,000 litres of oxygen to Tunis, Tunisia has already profited in 2021 from the support of Algeria in the medical and financial fields, indicated the Algerian Minister of Health. “This reflects the country’s approach and solidarity at least vis-à-vis neighbouring nations. We can help other African countries if the request arises (…). It is intended that we will travel to Niger with a medical team and discuss with our Nigerien friends the possibility of opening an axis of collaboration with exchanges and training, this reflects the availability of Algeria to assist nations with which we have excellent relations,” said Professor Benbouzid.
It should be cited that the vaccination rate in Algeria is below the expectations of the authorities the citizens do not jostle in the vaccination centres. The country, thus, discovers itself with a stock of vaccines that must be used correctly, their lifespan being relatively limited.
Since the ending of September, Algeria has had a manufacturing unit for the CoronaVac vaccine, from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac. The majority of the products will probably head for the African continent where the precious serum is so lacking.