COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES SHIPPED BY THE COVAX FACILITY HEAD TO GHANA

MARKING BEGINNING OF GLOBAL ROLL OUT

Responsible Author: Jedi Foster P/O Rahma Sophia Rachdi | Paris, Washington DC, 02/25/2021, 00:41 Time

USPA NEWS - Ghana became the first country outside India to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX FacilityCOVAX announces 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed to Serum Institute of India have arrived in Accra, Ghana; further deliveries to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire are expected this week; Final first round of allocations for doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, to the majority of countries and economies participating in the COVAX Facility, anticipated to be published in coming days; Beginning of global rollout means that, as readiness criteria are met and doses produced, vaccines will be shipped to Facility participants on a rolling basis.

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TWO THIRD OF POORER COUNTRIES ARE CUTTING EDUCATION BUDGETS DUE TO COVID19

ACCORDING TO UNESCO & WORLD BANK

Responsible Author: Jedi Foster P/O Rahma Sophia Rachdi | Paris, Washington DC, 02/22/2021, 19:28 Time

USPA NEWS - Education budgets are not adjusting proportionately to the challenges brought about by COVID-19, especially in poorer countries.  Despite additional funding needs, two-thirds of low- and lower-middle-income countries have, in fact, cut their public education budgets since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the new joint World Bank –UNESCO Education Finance Watch (EFW). In comparison, only one-third of upper-middle and high-income countries have reduced their budgets.  These budget cuts have been relatively small thus far, but there is a danger that future cuts will be larger, as the pandemic continues to take its economic toll, and fiscal positions worsen.  These differing trends imply a significant widening of the already large spending disparities seen between low- and high-income countries. According to the new report, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2018-19, high-income countries were spending annually the equivalent of US$8,501 for every child or youth’s education compared to US$48 in low-income countries. COVID-19 is only widening this huge per-capita education spending gap between rich and poor countries.

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