Treasury has used more than US$127 million to procure 12,5 million Covid-19 vaccine doses and 15 million syringes from various countries to boost the national vaccination programme.
In addition, Government has spent more than $23,8 billion in the containment of the pandemic since last year when the disease was detected in the country.
Government had originally set aside US$100 million from the Budget and this has already been exhausted.
Addressing delegates at the International Business Conference held yesterday during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube said the vaccination programme was the long-term economic recovery strategy.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated socio-economic challenges facing the country since its outbreak in 2020. The pandemic has claimed a number of lives and livelihoods as well through loss of incomes.
“However, the economy is now on a recovery path benefiting from the good 2020/21 farming season and vaccination programme,” he said.
“Our medium to long term economic recovery strategy is the vaccination programme. Government is utilising a Budget surplus of US$100 million from the previous year to procure vaccines to save lives and livelihoods.
“So far, over US$127,3 million has been spent on procurement of 12,5 million vaccines and 15 million syringes from various countries.”
Zimbabwe has set a target to vaccinate 10 million people, translating to 60 percent of the total population to attain herd immunity.
So far, 2,97 million people have received their first Covid-19 jab while 2,1 million have received both doses. This means that the country has vaccinated more than 13 percent of the total population.
Government is using four vaccines in the inoculation drive including Sinopharm and Sinovac from China, the Russian Sputnik V and the Indian Covaxin.
Zimbabwe is currently ranked seventh in Africa in terms of rolling out the vaccines and has been named among the 13 countries that reached the World Health Organisation target to fully vaccinate more than 10 percent of its population by September.
Prof Ncube said Government would continue to mobilise additional resources to ensure the target population was fully vaccinated.
He said the additional funds spent in the fight against the pandemic had gone towards construction of quarantine centres and other expenses.
“In addition to resources spent on procurement of vaccines, Government has also spent more than $23,8 billion towards the containment of the pandemic as at August 20 in the following areas: construction of quarantine centres, Covid-19 allowances, transportation of vaccines, PPEs and test kits and reagents,” he said.
Minister Ncube said the Government had to play a balancing act in saving the economy and both the lives and livelihoods of the people by unveiling an $18,2 billion stimulus package which had an impact in revitalising the economy.
The package was aimed at scaling-up production levels across all sectors of the economy, addressing the constraints faced by a large section of small-scale industries, improving health facilities and reducing poverty and hardships to assist vulnerable groups in society.
“For the productive sectors, the Government has been providing guarantees mostly.
“This support was pivotal in vitalising the agriculture sector,” said Minister Ncube.