Japan to give grant aid to Africa, Latin America for vaccine supply

TOKYO, April 27 (MENA) - Japan will provide 4.2 billion yen ($39 million) in grant aid through an international organization to 31 countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to help them build a cold-chain distribution network for Covid-19 vaccines, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The decision follows one made in March to provide 25 countries in Asia and the Pacific Islands region with 4.5 billion yen in aid for the same purpose, Kyodo news agency reported.

The grant aid, to be delivered through the United Nations Children's Fund, will be used to secure cold-storage facilities, transport vehicles and other equipment necessary for the stable delivery of vaccines in those countries.

As Japan has not domestically produced any Covid-19 vaccines, the government is seeking to make a contribution internationally by supporting vaccine distribution networks and facilities in developing nations.

The six recipient countries of the aid in Latin America and the Caribbean are Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela. The 25 in Africa are Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.