Mauritania receives first Covid-19 vaccines from China

Mauritania received its first delivery of coronavirus vaccines from China.

50,000 doses of Sinopharm arrived on Wednesday.

Mauritania is the latest African country to receive a vaccine donation after Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, and Niger.

China is one of Mauritania's very first trading partners and is showing a growing interest in investing in the country that has a strategic location, with significant mineral and fish resources and energy potential.

Before the arrival of the doses, a large poster announced in Chinese, Arabic and French "the Chinese vaccine is here" was put up in the capital Nouakchott. A similar sign was also on the airport tarmac.

Health Minister Mohamed Nedhirou Ould Hamed was there for the vaccine shipment and 13 air-borne respirators.

No vaccination date yet

The Minister did not give any indication of when the vaccine rollout would start. 

He has indicated that priority would be given to health workers and the elderly.

Mauritania is also hoping for more than 800,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the international Covax system.

Mauritania has declared more than 17,600 cases and 447 deaths. The progression of the pandemic seems to be slowing down, with around 20 new cases per day. It has severely affected a vulnerable economy.