Rwanda: U.S donates 1,000,350 More Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Doses – More than Four Million Doses Handed over So Far

KIGALI (January 16, 2022) — The United States on Saturday delivered to Rwanda an additional 1,000,350 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as part of U.S. commitment to work with the people and Government of Rwanda to promote better health.

  This gift from the American people, which arrived at Kigali International Airport overnight on January 15, brings the total of U.S.-donated COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda to more than 4 million doses already delivered! 

This shipment of vaccines is part of the United States ongoing support for the global COVAX program and includes the 1 billionth vaccine dose distributed through this program!

The United States is pleased to partner with the Government of Rwanda and to be a part of Rwanda’s success of meeting the World Health Organization target of vaccinating 40% of its population against COVID-19 by the end of 2021. 

The United States celebrates with Rwanda on reaching this goal! 

The 4,296,450 vaccine doses that the United States has already donated and delivered to Rwanda are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to share U.S. vaccine supplies with the world. 

The U.S. Government has already shared more than 373 million vaccine doses with 110 countries around the world and is committed to donating 1.2 billion vaccine doses in total.  

IN NUMBERS

The United States provided more than 28 billion RWF ($28M USD) to Rwanda to fight and respond to COVID-19.  This 28 billion RWF in donations includes:

• More than 4 million (4,296,450) of the most effective vaccines, enough to fully protect (two doses) 24% of the eligible population in Rwanda;

• Supply chain experts who coordinate COVID-19 vaccine deployment;

• Medical supplies and training for 351 health facilities, 21 district hospitals, 2 referral hospitals, and 2 provincial hospitals;

• Renovation of three hospitals to create COVID-19 isolation and treatment centers; 

• Equipped eight treatment centers with devices to save lives including oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, flow meters, and patient monitors;

• 100 American-made ventilators, 7 mobile X-ray units; 96 video laryngoscopes, and 8,300 pulse oximeters.  This equipment saved the lives of patients with COVID-19;

• Diagnostic testing supplies and equipment valued at more than 2.6 billion RWF and over 725,000 articles of personal protective equipment;

• Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) trained 37 experts who were deployed to support COVID-19 response through contact tracing and surveillance. FETP also trained 87 frontline responders from 20 districts to combat COVID-19.

U.S. COVID-19 support is through the following entities in Rwanda:

Rwandan Ministry of Health

UNHCR

ICAP Society for Family Health

University of Maryland

USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management

FXB Rwanda

African Evangelist Enterprise

Caritas

Global Communities

Jhpiego

Society for Family Health

Alliance for Healthy Communities

Others