The French commitment is part of the initiative of the African Fund for the Acquisition of Vaccines (AVAT), launched by the AU; and Covax mechanism, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), among others, to guarantee global access to vaccines.

Paris will deliver 10 million vaccines within three months, and the figure of 60 million doses will be reached by the end of the year, according to a statement published by the Elysee.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared that ‘the pandemic can only be overcome through intense cooperation between multilateral, regional and national actors’, and as proof of this he cited the donation and his ‘determination to stand by the people of Africa’.

In turn, president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, considered that this ‘is a strong and welcome gesture of human solidarity and political cooperation at a time when the world needs it most’.

The AVAT initiative is a joint acquisition mechanism allowing AU member states to purchase vaccines necessary to meet at least half of their needs, while the Covax mechanism works to provide the remaining 50 percent through donations.

pgh/lcp