Russia to donate 300 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine to Africa

The 55 member states of the African Union will be offered a large number of doses of the Russian anti-Covid Sputnik V vaccine. Deliveries will begin in May.

African countries will receive large amounts of Russian anti-Covid Sputnik V vaccine free of charge, the African Union (AU) has announced. Russia will donate 300 million doses.

“We are grateful to receive the Sputnik V vaccine from the Russian Federation and extremely proud to be able to offer them […] to all AU member states,” John Nkengasong said in a statement, director of the vaccination team at the African Union.

Partial deliveries could start in May, while the start of main deliveries will be in June, Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which supports the development of the vaccine and promotes it abroad, told Sputnik News site.

Previously, the AU had reserved 270 million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The Union, which brings together 55 states with a total population of around 900 million people, plans to vaccinate 60%.

As of February 19, the AU counts 3.8 million confirmed cases of Covid and deplores 100,000 deaths.