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CHAL on the ground

Launch of Global VAX (global vaccine access) Initiative in Lesotho

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On the 18th of March 2022 Global Vax Initiative delegation, the Ambassador of the United States of America in Lesotho and Peace Corps CEO have launched the Global Vax Initiative in Lesotho at Maseru SDA Health Centre, which is one of 71 health centres of CHAL. The event commenced with a tour to the stalls of implementing partners: EGPAF, JHPIEGO, PSI, ICAP and Baylor (KB).

This initiative will expand assistance to the Ministry of Health and other implementing partners, such as CHAL to ensure that every Mosotho is vaccinated. The government of the United States has already committed more than $1.3 billion for vaccine readiness since the pandemic has started. Recently US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that the US Government commitments an additional of $400 million to further expand covid-19 vaccination globally. USAID will provide an additional US$6.2 million (M93 million) to Lesotho on top of the US$12.4 million (M186 million) that has already been committed towards the response of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Global VAX initiative will strengthen the cold chain supply and logistics, service delivery, vaccine confidence and demand, human resources, data and analytics, local planning, and vaccine safety and effectiveness. Investments from the U.S. Government, including USAID, CDC, the Department of State through PEPFAR, and DoD have supported a wide range of work to make sure that different countries are ready to receive large vaccine shipments and Lesotho is one of the countries that have received support from these investments. US Global VAX programme is expected to help meet the global goal of 70% of the world’s population vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of 2022, Lesotho included in this target.

Speaking at the occasion, Director General, Ministry of Health, Dr. Nyane Letsie indicated that the Ministry is currently in a campaign to ensure that adolescents (children 12 years and above) get vaccinated, and this initiative will assist the country to expand reach especially to schools and communities living in the hard-to-reach areas of the country.

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In her opening remarks, the Executive Director of CHAL, Mrs. ‘Makatleho Mohasi indicated that CHAL is committed to ensuring that every Mosotho has access to healthcare services, including covid-19 vaccination to prevent the spread of the virus in the country. She added that every CHAL facility is currently providing Covid-19 vaccination and health education to the community to prevent the spread of Covid-19, especially communities living in the hard to reach areas of the country and the most vulnerable and maginalized.

According to the US Ambassador in Lesotho, Mrs. Maria Brewer, global VAX will incorporate a surge in financial technical and diplomatic engagement in an initial group of 11 countries of which Lesotho is amongst them. She added that since the start of the Covid -19 pandemic Lesotho has lost over 700 people, indicating that it has disrupted lives and it had a disastrous impact on access to essential health care, education, and livelihoods. She stipulated that it has also cost the country’s economy and had a very devastating impact on people and the nation world-wide.

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The Peace Corps CEO, Mrs. Carol Spahn reminded us that none of us is safe until we are all safe, we are responsible to counter for misinformation and dispel vaccine myths, and we should all get vaccinated and ensure the world does too. She commented that Lesotho is one of the countries that has best managed the pandemic since the beginning and was able to curb the spread.

The event was highlighted by the presence of Chief Khoabane Theko of Thaba-Bosiu, who emphasized the importance of advocacy for covid-19 vaccination in the communities. He added that community leaders, such as chiefs must be engaged to mobilize the community for vaccination.