Rwanda embarks on massive vaccination campaign

Rwanda recently launched an ambitious vaccination campaign with the goal of vaccinating 90% of the population in the City of Kigali and 30% of the entire population by the end of the year. The government is optimistic that once a majority of the population is vaccinated, economic activities will resume, helping the country recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccination campaign, which targets all individuals aged 18 and above, is the third aggressive effort by Rwanda to combat the spread of the virus. The country has set up 35 designated vaccination sites, with one site alone vaccinating an average of 4,000 people per day since the campaign began. People who have received the vaccine express confidence in its safety and effectiveness, with many believing that vaccination will pave the way for a return to normalcy. Business owners and managers are also hopeful that the mass vaccination program will lead to a full resumption of economic activities. Kigali, which contributes close to 50% of Rwanda's national GDP, has been severely impacted by the pandemic, experiencing three lockdowns since the first case was reported in March last year. However, with the intensification of the vaccination campaign, there is renewed optimism among business owners that normal operations will soon resume. The Minister of Health reported that over 1.5 million people in Rwanda have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with more than 500,000 individuals fully vaccinated. The country's medium-term target is to vaccinate at least 60% of the population by 2022. While many Western countries have made significant progress in vaccinating their populations, less-developed countries continue to struggle due to limited access to vaccines caused by export restrictions. Rwanda's vaccination campaign serves as a beacon of hope for other countries in the Global South, highlighting the importance of equitable vaccine distribution to ensure global safety and recovery.