Afghanistan

China To Provide Afghanistan With 400,000 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine

A member of the Afghan security forces receives the first dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Kabul on February 23.

China has pledged to deliver 400,000 doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine to Afghanistan, Afghan officials said on March 1, in a boost for an immunization campaign begun last week.

"China's ambassador to Kabul said in a meeting with health officials that his country would provide Afghanistan with 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine," said Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, the Health Ministry's head of the immunization program.

The Sinopharm vaccine produced in China has been approved by the World Health Organization, but it is unclear when it will be delivered, Nazari said.

So far just over 12,000 health workers have received the vaccine in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, he said.

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The vaccination of members of the security forces has also begun, according to another official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media.

Afghan government forces are facing intensified attacks, blamed on Taliban insurgents, since September, when the two sides entered U.S.-brokered peace talks hosted by Qatar. The Taliban has largely denied responsibility for the rash of violence. The militant group has also said it supports the vaccination campaign.

Afghanistan has already received 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India, which enabled the nation to launch its vaccination drive on February 23.

Afghan health officials have said the international COVAX program, which is aimed at improving access to the COVID-19 vaccine for developing countries, would provide vaccines to cover 20 percent of the country's 38 million population.

Afghanistan has registered 55,733 infections and 2,444 deaths. But experts say cases are significantly underreported due to low testing and limited access to medical facilities in the war-torn country.