They are an addition to 347,000 vaccines Rwanda received on Wednesday through COVAX initiative.

These vaccines were delivered to 50 hospitals yesterday from where they were distributed to health centers that have started vaccinating targeted groups this Friday.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta has said that these 50,000 vaccines arrived in Rwanda on Friday morning.

“Pleased to receive 50,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines from India this morning. The Government of Rwanda is grateful to the Government of India and other partner countries for their valuable contribution to the fight against COVID-19,” he said.

Rwanda has so far received 397,000 vaccines in three shipments including 102,960 Pfizer vaccines, 240, 000 AstraZeneca vaccines and more 50,000 AstraZeneca vaccines received today.

Rwanda plans to vaccinate 30% of the population by 2021.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has via Twitter account revealed that Minister Biruta received the vaccines at Kigali International Airport along with Oscar Kerketta, High Commissioner of India to Rwanda.

Health practitioners, patients with incurable diseases like blood pressure, diabetes and asthma among other respiratory diseases will be among the first group to be vaccinated in the first phase along with elders above 65 years and people whose line of duty puts them in a susceptible position.

Minister Biruta received the 50,000 vaccines at Kigali International Airport along with Oscar Kerketta, High Commissioner of India to Rwanda.