Ethiopia, IGAD Agree to Address Vaccine Access for Cross-border Drivers

ADDIS ABABA – Ministry of health and regional bloc IGAD have agreed to address vaccine access for cross border truck drivers serving in Ethiopia-Djibouti corridor.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dr. Lia Tadesse, Health Minister of Ethiopia, and Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, on Saturday.

The agreement aims to address access to vaccines in general and COVID19 vaccine for cross-border truck drivers between Ethiopia and Djibouti in particular, said the IGAD Executive Secretary.

“This will benefit 10,500 commercial truck drivers & their secondary contacts,” Workneh wrote on his Facebook page.

The signing of the agreement took place on the same day the Ministry of Health received half a million pairs of nitrile gloves and three basic ambulances from Igad.

The ambulances would serve cross-border areas of Galafi, Metema and Moyale as part of the EU-IGAD COVID-19 response Program, according to the regional bloc.

“My special thanks to the EU in Ethiopia, IGAD and UNOPS Ethiopia for this support,” said Health Minister Lia.