Delivery of Covid vaccines and the supplies needed to treat people suffering from the disease in Africa can be described as the first continent-wide project cargo exercise. The logistics behind vaccinating around 820 million people spread across more than 30 million square kilometres of mainly underserviced countryside is daunting, but not overwhelming for freight forwarders and transporters in Africa who routinely overcome red tape and physical challenges. Most rollout delays are due to procurement issues on the supply side and the inability of health systems to apply the vaccinations on the other end of the supply chain. Similarly, medical equipment is in short supply due to procurement issues rather than failed logistics chains. Both vaccines and syringes need to be available at the vaccination point, which also has to be equipped with the right storage facilities. These are some of the numbers: The COVAX Facility aims to supply 600 million doses to African countries in order to vaccinate 20% of the population by the end of 2021.COVAX is a global alliance to provide equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.This, combined with doses ordered by the African Union, brings the total number of doses reserved to Africa to at least 1.27 billion, according to a European Centre for Development Policy briefing note by Sophie Desmidt and Ashley Neat.Africa requires approximately 1.5 billion doses to immunise 60% of inhabitants, the threshold for herd immunity.Complicating the logistics is the fact that the continent is using several types of vaccines, which were obtained in different ways. There are separate cold chain requirements for the different vaccines, and they do not use a standard syringe size either. There is also no standard pick-up point. African nations are both purchasing doses and receiving them as donations from other countries – which include other African states.Virtually all of the vaccines are being transported by air at present – which has proven to be a life-line for airlines at a time when passenger numbers have dwindled. An example of the supply chain is Mozambique, which in March received an initial donation of 200 000 doses of vaccine from China, followed by 100 000 doses from India and 384 000 from COVAX. It is due to receive another 1.5 million doses this month (July).Foreign donors are focusing on both the logistics and doses needed.Japan has announced a $3.8-million donation to Mozambique to invest in transport equipment and refrigerated storage of vaccines.Then there is the treatment of people suffering from Covid-19.In a scenario played out across the continent, the US Government has delivered $600 000 worth of medical supplies in support of Mozambique’s Covid-19 response in Maputo City and Tete Province. These materials include oxygen-monitoring equipment, personal protective equipment, and medical equipment.
