The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Jonas Chanda officially launched the COVID-19 vaccination on 14 April 2021 at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. Zambia received the first consignment of 228,000 doses of the vaccine from the COVAX facility, a global Initiative representing a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) working on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Abuja, 15 April, 2021 - On the 14 April 2021, Nigeria launched the implementation the Global Fund 2021-2023 Malaria grant towards support to the elimination of the disease and for building resilient sustainable system for health across the country. 

14 April 2021 — Sixty-nine (69) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 6312 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases twenty-three thousand, six hundred and seventy-two (23672). To date, twenty-one thousand, five hundred, and ninety-four (21594) patients have recovered, including one hundred and ninety-nine (199) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, seven hundred, and sixty-one (1761) and three hundred and seventeen (317) deaths. 

Abuja, 15 April, 2021 - “I received the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine because I was opportune to get the right information to make a sound decision. I got the right information from the social mobilization and community campaign conducted by the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency and the World Health Organization”, says Emmanuel Nthor, a lecturer at the College of Health Technology, Calabar, Cross River State. 

Abuja, April 14, 2021 - “During this COVID-19 pandemic, I had serious challenges getting access to health care, especially my daily medication. Due to the lockdown, moving around was difficult as well as getting to the hospital. 

I also remember missing my medication for two days because of the constraints in accessing healthcare”, says Asabe Audu a 35-year-old female, HIV positive civil servant that resides in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

13 April 2021 — Sixty-eight (68) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 6069 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases twenty-three thousand, six hundred and three (23603). To date, twenty-one thousand, three hundred, and ninety-five (21395) patients have recovered, including one hundred and twenty-three (123) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, eight hundred, and ninety-two (1892) and three hundred and sixteen (316) deaths. 

Vaccines are largely known to be safe and effective in protecting people against deadly and disabling infectious diseases. Currently, there are vaccines that are effective against over 20 diseases. Overall, it is estimated that vaccines save the lives of up to 3 million people annually.  

However, over time, vaccination programs have faced several challenges prominent of which is the increasing vaccine hesitancy among the public. Hesitancy has particularly affected the newly introduced COVID-19 vaccines including the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

12 April 2021 — One hundred and nine (109) new COVID-19 cases were identified out of 4671 samples tested today. This brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases twenty-three thousand, five hundred, and thirty-five (23535). To date, twenty-one thousand, two hundred, and seventy-two (21272) patients have recovered, including twenty-nine (29) in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases is one thousand, nine hundred, and forty-seven (1947) and three hundred and sixteen (316) deaths.