(Ecofin Agency) - Côte d'Ivoire will begin a vaccination campaign of its population against covid-19, from April 2021. This was announced by the government on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, in a communiqué issued at the end of the Council of Ministers.

This measure is one of the actions undertaken by the Ivorian authorities since the beginning of the pandemic. After the massive screening campaign, prevention, and management of positive cases, the government had decided to take part in the initiative which aims to provide two billion doses of several vaccines in development to people around the world by the end of 2021.

According to the Ivorian authorities, the vaccination campaign will begin with frontline personnel, meaning health workers, defense and security forces, and teachers. It will then target people over the age of 50, those with chronic conditions, and finally international travelers.

"About 5 million people, or 20% of the Ivorian population, are targeted by this vaccination, which is scheduled to start in April 2021," the government said in its communiqué. For the time being, no indication has been given on the vaccine that will be used in the country.

According to the latest assessment by the African Union (AU), Côte d'Ivoire currently has 21,547 confirmed cases of covid-19, including 133 deaths and 21,176 recoveries.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou