New Zealand government donates COVID-19 vaccines to PNG

Papua New Guinea received additional AstraZeneca vaccines - this time from the New Zealand Government. 

A total of 146, 000 doses of AstraZeneca, bought by the New Zealand Government was delivered to PNG.

They were received at Jackson's Airport yesterday morning by New Zealand High Commissioner  to Papua New Guinea, Phillip Taula.

“As whanaunga, friends, and partners, Aotearoa New Zealand stands alongside  the Pacific at this difficult time. PNG’s success in tackling COVID-19 has been  hard-won at an enormous cost to your economy and livelihoods. New Zealand  is proud to be partnering with PNG to help us all get through this,” Phillip Taula said. 

Through the COVAX facility, New Zealand is providing protection to 1.2 million  people across the Pacific. New Zealand’s first shipment of vaccines for PNG  arrived in country, today, 15th June.

"The Government of Papua New Guinea thanks the Government and people of  New Zealand for providing additional AstraZeneca doses through the COVAX  Facility as part of their dose sharing mechanism. These gifted doses will boost  Papua New Guinea’s vaccination program and ensure that more people,  including essential frontline workers, will be protected. These doses will ensure  more lives are saved and that frontline workers can continue to provide  essential services to the people of Papua New Guinea,'' said the Secretary of the National Department of Health, Dr Osborne Liko. 

Deputy Controller of the PNG COVID-19 Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom, also thanked the government and people of New Zealand for the donation of the vaccines.

“These 146,000 doses of COVID19 vaccines will greatly help the National  Department of Health and National Control Centre to rollout the 2 nd dose for  the front line Health Workers and other essential front line workers’’ said Dr Daoni. 

He highlighted the fact that PNG will be receiving 20 per cent of the quantity  of the vaccines from the COVAX facility, while partners like the Australian and New Zeeland governments will be supporting additional doses to the Government of PNG-all  of these doses will enable the government of PNG to vaccinate 50% of its  population, who are eligible for this vaccine.

New Zealand’s COVAX shipment to PNG is among the first in the Pacific. In  addition, New Zealand will be providing enough vaccines to cover Tokelau, the  Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tuvalu and Tonga. This is in addition to $120 million  of official development assistance previously announced by New Zealand  Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta, to help build resilience in Pacific

economies,” Phillip Taula said.

“New Zealand will also be providing NZD$ 3 million to support PNG’s National  Deployment and Vaccination plan, as requested by the PNG Government, in  partnership with UNICEF.

“Despite strong efforts to manage COVID-19, PNG’s economy has been  impacted in multiple ways.

The economic disruption affecting many countries in the Pacific, is  unprecedented.

“We all benefit from a vaccinated world. Access to safe and effective vaccines  for PNG will protect communities, and help our people to reconnect,” Phillip  Taula said.

“UNICEF will continue to leverage its extensive experience in vaccines, cold chain equipment, and other logistic management including procurement and  distribution to ensure that quality vaccines are available at all levels to protect  its population from the COVID19 pandemic. UNICEF is also collaborating with  the NDOH and partners to heighten risk communication and demand  generation efforts for the COVID-19 vaccines among the communities”, UNICEF  Deputy Representative, Judith Bruno said.

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