By The ChinaAfrica Project
As of this week, China has distributed 117.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines throughout with just under 40% of those shipments provided as donations, according to the latest data from Bridge Consulting’s vaccine tracker report.
But the distribution of those vaccines remains highly uneven across the continent. From the beginning of the pandemic, North African countries have received the vast majority of vaccines. This trend is continuing because the only two local manufacturing facilities for Chinese vaccines in Africa are located in Morocco and Egypt.
As of this week, about two-thirds, or 62%, of all Chinese vaccines in Africa have been distributed to just five North African countries.
China currently faces two challenges in its vaccine distribution agenda in Africa: 1) increase quantities to meet the 1 billion dose pledge made by President Xi Jinping at last year’s FOCAC conference in Senegal and 2) to more equitably distribute those vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa.