Link to Article: https://ug.usembassy.gov/united-states-donates-1-6-million-more-covid-19-vaccines-doses-to-uganda-september-20-2021-pr-12-2021/
On September 20th, 2021, the United States delivered 1,674,270 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Uganda. This comes after Joe Biden, President of the United States, made a promise to deliver 500 million Pfizer vaccines to 92 countries in need worldwide. In relation to Uganda specifically, the U.S has charged the fight to protect them against COVID-19- providing them with roughly $111 million dollars of assistance. This included technical support, data collection, and health worker training. The U.S continues to fund the charge for COVID-19 protection in Uganda, even going as far as to send United States Military personal into the country to assist with vaccine roll-out and the efficient distributions and relocation of the vaccines themselves. As well as Pfizer, the U.S has delivered 640,080 Moderna vaccines to the country.
If you look up the number of COVID-19 cases in Uganda currently, the numbers are relatively low. At first look, this is an impressive feat. However upon a more careful look, it’s revealed that Uganda has a low number of cases because of it’s limited testing resources, not because of its efficient vaccine administration. As of September 20, 2021 (the same day Biden delivered the mass amount of vaccines to Uganda), it is estimated that only 2% of the country has been vaccinated. Hospitals are overflowing, oxygen is running out, and people are being laid off by the dozens. Biden’s roll-out of vaccines could do more than reinvigorate a country- it could quell a lot of unrest. This is particularly important after a series of coups in Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Sudan.
The vaccines don’t seem to be affiliated with an NGO of any kind, although the vaccines could be defined as a Charitable and Empowering act. Uganda, a state, is run by the President: Yoweri Musevini. He’s been in power since 1986, and will be removed from office upon stepping down or (apparently) his death. He is the 9th president of Uganda.