By Brian Dlamini

Government’s national Covid 19 vaccine deployment framework which will soon be rolled out for free to all citizens for those who wish to be immunised is commendable, as it is a timely intervention to protect the country’s population from the deadly pandemic.

Speaking on a televised nation address last week, President Mnangagwa said the Government had finalised a national vaccine deployment framework which aims to inoculate 60 percent of the population (about 10 million people) to achieve herd immunity.

Recently, health minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga also assured citizens that Covid-19 will be administered for free on everyone willing to be immunized against the virus.

This would certainly go a long way in reducing the effects of the killer disease which has claimed 1364 lives so far.

Currently, the nation has been hard hit by the second wave of this killer disease. The daily figures are certainly not looking good and are steadily rising everyday with over 34 000 cumulative confirmed cases recorded so far.

The soon to be rolled out national vaccine deployment programme is a timely intervention that comes at a time when governments world over are investing in measures to protect their populations against the deadly Covid-19 which has claimed millions of people across the globe.

So far, the Government has proved to be on top of the situation as it is mobilizing the finances to procure the Covid-19 vaccines. Recently, the finance ministry secretary, George Guvamatanga said they have a US$100 million “war chest” set aside to procure around 20 million vaccine doses to immunize 60 percent of the population.

Yesterday, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa revealed that the country had purchased 600 000 Covid-19 vaccine doses from China’s Sinopharm and they are expected in the country by 15 February and the first week of March 2021 respectively.

As it cannot go it alone, Government has also extended an appeal to the private sector to donate towards the procurement of the vaccines.

In an appeal dated 5 February posted via his Twitter account, Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube said, “Government is announcing this broader private sector initiative to the corporate sector, citizens and other well-wishers to contribute financially or otherwise towards the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.”

So far, the appeal has received two major boosts as China has donated 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine which will be  delivered with the purchased consignments.

Russian diamond producer Alrosa PJSC has also come to the rescue with an unspecified number of vaccines. Alrosa Zimbabwe, Chief Executive Officer, Sergev Ivanov, has said they “will buy and donate the (Russian made) Sputnik V corona virus vaccines to Zimbabwe and Angola to help those nations’ inoculation programs.”

Ivanov also revealed that allowing for time needed to produce the vaccine, they expect first shipment to start from the second half of March.

Government is also negotiating for vaccine doses from India and Covax.

Only a few African countries have begun procuring the vaccines as the continent races to obtain supplies for its 1.3 billion  people.

With all these efforts being made by Government, Zimbabwe is among the first African countries to procure the Covid-19 dosages. It must be applauded, as this indicates its willingness to mobilize resources for the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The various efforts must be complemented by the private sector and citizens.

A lot of resources are still required for the immunization of the entire population in the country. This calls for unity of purpose, if we are to defeat the coronavirus as a nation.