Equatorial Guinea vice-president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, has announced that he will be the first citizen to receive the coronavirus vaccine that arrived in the country today.

He made the disclosure when he received a consignment of 100,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccines. He said the decision was to raise awareness among the citizenry.

"And to raise awareness among the population, Nguema Obiang Mangue restated that he would be the first citizen in Equatorial Guinea to receive the vaccine," a statement on the government website stated in part.

The central African oil-producer becomes the first African country to receive the Chinese vaccines. The Asian giant has announced donations to some African countries whiles other countries have announced purchase agreements.

Full Statement: Equatorial Guinea now has vaccine against COVID-19

Equatorial Guinea now has vaccine against Covid-19. It was a donation from the Beijing Government with the intention of further strengthening the ties of friendship and cooperation which unite the two countries.

As with the economic aid of 2 million US dollars given by the Equatoguinean Government to China in February 2020, this time the Asian giant has returned the gesture of solidarity.

The presentation and reception ceremony took place with the symbolic signing by the Equatoguinean Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Diosdado Vicente Nsue Milang and the accredited Chinese Ambassador in Malabo, Qi Mei.

In her speech, the diplomat from the Asian giant recognised before Equatoguinean authorities the reciprocal contributions of the two nations. The presentation of these 100 thousand doses of Vero Cell shows once again the desire of the two governments to join hands in order to battle hard against the Coronavirus and its various strains.

For his part, the President of the Policy Committee for Vigilance and Response to Covid-19 and Vice-President of the Republic, H. E. Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, praised this aid which he described as emergency, at a time when the curve of contagions in the country has been seeing an increase since November 2020.

For the Equatoguinean politician the donation of the Chinese vaccine shows once again the fruits of the excellent diplomatic relations uniting the two States. And to raise awareness among the population, Nguema Obiang Mangue restated that he would be the first citizen in Equatorial Guinea to receive the vaccine.

Vero Cell is a vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm and, according to the WHO and the clinical evaluation directorates for preventive vaccines for Covid-19, it meets international standards.

With the first one hundred thousand doses for 50 thousand people, which represents 4% of the population of Equatorial Guinea, the first phase of the Vaccination Plan will be implemented, prioritising health personnel, those at high risk of mortality and those who work on the main borders of the country.

In this context, the Equatoguinean Vice-President used the occasion to wish the Government and people of China a happy new year.


The vaccine in question is the Vero Cell, developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm and, according to the WHO and the clinical evaluation directorates for preventive vaccines for Covid-19, it meets international standards.

With the first one hundred thousand doses for 50 thousand people, which represents 4% of the population of Equatorial Guinea, the first phase of the Vaccination Plan will be implemented, prioritising health personnel, those at high risk of mortality and those who work on the main borders of the country.

The country had donated 2 million dollars to China a year ago when the coronavirus began spreading in Wuhan. Africa recorded its first case on February 14 in Egypt.

Equatorial Guinea is one of Africa's least impacted countries with less than 6,000 cases and 87 deaths as at today, February 11, 2021; according to a daily tracker by BBC Africa.