September 6, 2021 | PR 11/2021
United States Donation of 647,080 COVID-19 Vaccines for Uganda
Kampala, September 6, 2021 — The U.S. Mission in Uganda announced the donation by the United States of 647,080 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Uganda as a critical component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The donated vaccine doses are part of the United States’ pledge to initially with life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. The United States coordinated closely with the African Union and Africa CDC on the country allocations. The vaccine doses arrived via COVAX in Uganda on September 6, 2021.
“The United States is committed to ending the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible. These U.S. donated COVID-19 vaccines will save Ugandan lives,” said U.S. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown. “We are in this together. We will overcome this virus.”
This donation will help protect the Ugandan people from the ongoing devastation of COVID-19. These doses are part of the U.S. government’s commitment to share the U.S. vaccine supply with the world. As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and work to end the pandemic worldwide, President Biden has promised that the United States will be an “arsenal of vaccines” for the world. To date, the United States has donated more than 125 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 80 countries around the world, and more are on their way.
As President Biden said: “From the beginning of my presidency, we have been clear-eyed that we need to attack this virus globally as well. This is about our responsibility — our humanitarian obligation to save as many lives as we can — and our responsibility to our values. We’re going to help lead the world out of this pandemic, working alongside our global partners.”
The United States is a longstanding partner in saving lives, improving health, and addressing public health threats in Uganda and the region. Since the pandemic began last year, the United States has provided approximately $110 million to Uganda in direct assistance specifically to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19. U.S. Mission personnel have been committed and engaged in Uganda’s COVID response efforts from the beginning, and throughout each phase of the response we have provided critical funding and technical support. In advance of Uganda’s national vaccine rollout in March 2021, the United States provided technical and financial support in data management, risk communication, and community mobilization efforts that enabled vaccine uptake across Uganda.
“We will continue to do all we can to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease,” Ambassador Brown said.
The U.S. government contributed $2 billion to Gavi in March, which supported procurement and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX. In July, the U.S. government provided an additional $2 billion contribution to Gavi that will help fill the gap in COVAX’s vaccine supply.
For additional information, please contact:
Dorothy Nanyonga
Information Assistant
U.S. Mission Uganda
Tel: +256-414-250-314 x6104
Cell: +256-772-138-194
Email:KampalaPress@state.gov
