October 7, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
As government sets to embark on the second surge of the vaccine rollout targeting over six hundred thousand people, the World Bank has on the 5th of October 2021, made a windfall of 55,200 doses of the second consignment of Johnson and Johnson vaccines to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
During her the handing over presentation at the Lungi International Airport, the Communication Specialist at UNICEF Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, appreciated World Bank for the arrival of the second consignment of Johnson and Johnson vaccines.
“We appreciate the general contribution from World Bank which has enable the financing of this particular consignment of fifty-five thousand two hundred doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines”, she said.
She added that the vaccine added on to the early consignment of vaccines received, will create a very good impact in the fight against the pandemic. She admonished all to continue adhering to the preventive measures of the covid-19 such as the wearing of mask, regular hand washing, and to practice of social distancing.
She acknowledged that Sierra Leone has seen a steady decline in cases of covid-19 and therefore encouraged all to remain conscious, cautious and ensure that more people are available to be vaccinated. She congratulated the Ministry of Health for the recent undertakings of outreach interventions which have enable more people to have access to the vaccines at community levels in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and pillar lead for NaCOVERC Mohamed Haji-Kella, extend profound thanks to World Bank for the support and all other partners that have been working with the government of Sierra Leone in the fight against covbid-19.
He reiterated that the country has seen a declining number of cases adding that, such did not happen so easily but rather under very serious leadership of President Bio.
Haji-Kella also disclosed that what they have done in the fight against convid-19 is part of the lessons learnt during the Ebola Period noting that prevention is the best way possible.
He acknowledged that the country did not have all the resources to be able to control the pandemic, but with the leadership from the president and support from all their partners, yielded such dividend in overcoming the first, second and the third waves of the pandemic.
He furthered that NaCOVERC in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, are reaching out to various communities in making sure that people get vaccinated and making sure that they put the Covid-19 measures into practice.
“We have just done the first surge and we are getting ready for the second surge and we are aiming at reaching out to over six hundred thousand people during the second surge. I believe that with the arrival of the second consignment of the Johnson and Johnson Vaccines, we will meet that objective that we have set”, he concluded.
In receipt of the fifty-five thousand two hundred doses, the Acting Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Anthony Sandy, on behalf of the president and the people of Sierra Leone, extended his heartfelt gratitude to their partners especially the World Bank for what he described as a timely arrival of the second consignment of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines.
He added that since the outbreak of the pandemic, partners collectively have been with the people of Sierra Leone. He said the country would have been in a very difficult state if the partners were not giving the required support to the country especially in the fight against the pandemic.
Dr. Sandy noted that the government wholeheartedly appreciated the fifty-five thousand two hundred doses of the vaccine. He assured that government will do everything humanely possible in making sure that the vaccines are utilized by the people of Sierra Leone. He concluded by intimating that government has engaged religious leaders and bike riders for the next vaccine rollout in order to meet the six hundred thousand target in the second surge of the vaccine rollout.