No secrecy in Covid vaccine procurement process - Nangombe

WINDHOEK – Executive director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services Ben Nangombe said there is no secrecy in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. “What we need to take note of is that issues of strategy when dealing with our stakeholders should not be confused with secrecy or lack of transparency. We are committed, and we do practice transparency, but this is done at appropriate times,” he added.

Nangombe said this while responding to questions by the media during the 28th Covid-19 briefing in Windhoek on Friday. He explained that reporting is done when specific milestones are reached, and that this should be accorded respect, otherwise they would not be running their institutions efficiently and effectively.

“In September last year, after having gone through the initial budget of N$727 million, we prepared an accountability report tabled before Cabinet. Cabinet had to go through this report, and directed that it be audited by the Office of the Auditor General, which was done. This is the process that was established, and we are complying with this process. So, there should not be any insinuation that we are practising any secrecy,” he reiterated.

Nangombe went on to say that Namibia has spent about N$31.4 million on Covid-19 vaccines as well as on the vaccination process, including funding from development cooperation partners in the private sector.

Of this total, N$26.8 million has gone directly to the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. He further stated that Namibia is expecting to receive 150 000 doses of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine in June, while via the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Trust, Namibia is also expecting to receive 250 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by August this year.

In addition to the 43 200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine received on 21 May 2021, the country will further receive the remaining 40 800 doses in the coming months.

Regarding the Sputnik vaccine, Nangombe said negotiations have proceeded well, and Namibia may be getting this vaccine in about two months’ time.

According to the ministry’s daily Covid-19 briefing, by 29 May, 67 593 people were vaccinated with the first doses of Sinopharm and AstraZeneca. So far, 8 777 have had their second doses as well.

The country has lost 818 people to Covid-19.

Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula has warned that if the rate at which COVID-19 cases are increasing in Namibia remains the same, the country will record 44 472 new positive cases and 1 308 deaths by the end of 2021.