COMMENT: Govt must be lauded for Covid-19 vaccine budget

The national and global focus since January last year has been on counting the enormous human and economic cost of Covid-19.

It is always updates on the rising number of infections, the rising number of people dying as a result of the viral disease, the gory images of mass graves in places in South America, undertakers working like they had never done and health systems struggling to cope with high demand for services. It is also about the unprecedented economic downturn caused by Covid-19, the accompanying joblessness, poverty and domestic violence.

On top of accounts of the multifaceted impact of the disease, we have some authorities actually openly projecting the Covid-19 death toll over the next few months.

Locally, the disease has been a challenge too, particularly the second wave that has been with us since December 2020. Infections have generally been rising compared to last year. We have had many big and ordinary people losing their lives to the disease. Three of our ministers passed away in a week or so recently.

It has been extremely depressing.

However, with the rollout of a number of vaccines in some countries, we are beginning to make small steps out of this global health crisis.

So, instead of suffering the depression and insecurity that come with increasing numbers of infections, fatalities as well as the adverse social and economic impact of Covid-19, we will soon be relieved counting shipments of anti-Covid-19 vaccines landing in Harare, the total number of people getting immunised against the disease, infections and fatalities dropping and life returning to normal.

Yesterday South Africa took delivery of a shipment of vaccines from India ahead of inoculations of local health staff in the next few weeks. The general population will follow shortly after. A few countries in the north, including Egypt and Morocco started immunising their frontline staff a few days ago.

Zimbabweans should look forward with hope as the Government has money already set aside to import vaccines.

“We have managed to mobilise, through various structures, up to US$100 million for procurement of the vaccine,” Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Mr George Guvamatanga told our sister paper Sunday News at the weekend.

“US$100 million will allow us to inoculate over 60 percent of our population, which according to the World Health Organisation is what we need for us to achieve what is called herd immunity.

“So, as soon as the sign is given on which vaccine we need to procure and where we are procuring it from, as Treasury we are ready with funding and with funding structures worth US$100 million to make sure that we procure the vaccine and save the lives of Zimbabweans.”

It is commendable that the Government has moved as fast as it has done, setting aside so much money to buy the inoculations well before scientists have picked the best vaccine for the people. This demonstrates a great sense of responsibility on the part of the Government. It, too, highlights the Government’s undivided commitment to the preservation of the wellbeing of the people.

It would have been risky for the Government to entrust our collective wellbeing to donors.

Our scientists cannot be rushed into picking the vaccines that the Government must buy. What they are doing is a very demanding job of investigating the efficacy of a range of vaccines.

China has some vaccines out on the market among them Sinopharm, Russia has Sputnik V while Britain and the US have theirs.

Our scientists must be given time to fully concentrate and pick the vaccines that are not only affordable but also effective enough for local conditions.

As we give them the time to work, we hope they will finish their work as soon as possible. That will allow the Government to begin the procurement process and thereafter the protocols to lead to a national rollout.

The vaccines will come under two or three initiatives. There is an African Union one under which countries would share at least 400 million doses. In addition, there is the World Health Organisation initiative under the banner of Covax.

Zimbabweans are looking forward to all these initiatives coming to fruition as soon as possible so that they receive the life-saving jabs and regain the freedom they lost in March last year.