China pledges additional 400k Sinopharm doses to Maldives

China has pledged to provide additional 400,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to the Maldives.

The pledge was informed during a phone call conversation held between the Presidents of both the countries on July 16.

Foreign Ministry has also confirmed that China will be donating additional doses of the Sinopharm vaccine – however noted they were unaware as to when the shipment will be received.

During his address to the nation on the occasion of this year’s Independence Day, President Ibrahim Mohamed Soliih noted that Maldives has secured enough doses to fully vaccination the entire eligible population. He also added that a mass vaccination program is set to commence next week.

The President further detailed that the aim of the Government is to fully vaccinate 90 percent of the eligible population by the end of August.

Maldives began its nationwide vaccine roll out on February – with the Indian-donated Covishield vaccine. With low stocks of Covishield – Maldives then began administering the 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese – as there were difficulties faced in acquiring the Covishield vaccine again.