Uganda is grappling with a significant setback as an audit report reveals that over 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, procured through a $7.3 million World Bank loan, have expired.
The Auditor General of Uganda, John Muwanga, submitted a report to parliament on Tuesday, highlighting the urgent need to withdraw and destroy these expired vaccines.
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccines, the report disclosed that other medications, including HIV antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), worth $8.6 million have also expired.
The expiration of these drugs is attributed to changes in treatment guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The total losses incurred due to the expired Covid-19 vaccines are projected to surpass $78 million by the year’s end.
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Moses Kamabare, the head of Uganda’s drug procurement agency, expressed concerns about the diminishing demand for Covid vaccines.
He noted, “The demand for Covid vaccines is now at zero. We no longer receive any COVID-19 vaccine orders.
If we don’t have any people that need or health facilities requisitioning for these Covid vaccines, we expect more Covid vaccines to expire on us.”
Authorities are taking immediate action to address the situation by withdrawing the expired vaccines from health facilities and initiating their destruction.
The financial implications of this loss highlight the pressing need for better management and monitoring of vaccine expiration dates to prevent further setbacks in Uganda’s healthcare system.
Uganda Faces $7 Million Loss As Expired Covid Vaccines Destroyed, Uganda Faces $7 Million Loss As Expired Covid Vaccines Destroyed