Over 5.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, purchased through a World Bank loan by the Ugandan government, have expired, according to an audit report.
Uganda to destroy expired Covid vaccines worth $7m
A Ugandan man receives a coronavirus vaccination at the Kololo airstrip in Kampala, Uganda Monday, May 31, 2021.
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Valued at 28.1 billion Ugandan shillings ($7.3m; £5.8m), these vaccines will be withdrawn from health facilities and destroyed.
Additionally, the report by Uganda's Auditor General John Muwanga reveals that drugs, primarily HIV antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), worth $8.6m have expired due to changes in WHO treatment guidelines.
Authorities anticipate total losses from expired Covid vaccines to exceed $78m by year-end, with declining demand contributing to the issue, as confirmed by Moses Kamabare, head of Uganda's drug procurement agency.