Health workers storm major markets in Abidjan to promote covid-19 jabs

Health workers in Abidjan take vaccination campaign to traders at popular markets in Ivory Coast’s financial capital city.

With megaphones in hand, the health workers urge traders and shoppers alike to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Traders and customers at the market in Treichville, a neighborhood in Abidjan, gathered to register, and received their jabs from a mobile health unit parked outside.

"I have just received my Covid vaccine, I am really relieved, because I have been wanting to do it for a long time. I came to the market in Treichville, I saw the people in the campaign so I took advantage of it. I am really happy and relieved", vaccine recipient, Amsatouu Diallo said.

Luicie Kpan Toure is a health worker. She wants ‘’everyone to have access to the vaccination.’’

"I hope there is no shortage of vaccines, so that we don't have a third wave of contamination because there have been too many deaths, so we really should not stop the vaccination. I would like it to continue, I would like it to become routine, we would like everyone to have access to the vaccination", Toure said.

Ivorian authorities will ramp up campaign for the jabs over the next 15 days in more than 130 markets in Abidjan. The aim is to reach those who were unable to get jabbed elsewhere, as some African countries deal with a third wave of infections.

The World Health Organization said coronavirus case numbers are doubling in Africa every three weeks.

In Ivory Coast 48,564 people have been infected with the virus, 47,936 people have recovered and at least 315 have died during the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins University.