Dr. Eva Kabwongera’s job is to make sure life-saving Covid-19 vaccines reach Uganda’s 45 million people. On a recent morning, that journey took her to a tiny island that is home to less than 2,000 people.
The 40 doses Kabwongera brought with her to Namatale had traveled more than 3,000 miles via plane, truck, ferry and boat from Pune, India, to get to the outcrop in Africa’s vast Lake Victoria.
“We are delivering hope,” said Kabwongera, who is UNICEF’s immunization chief for Uganda, as she stepped into shallow water and walked to shore soaking wet. Dozens of small, smiling children greeted her.
“The people there are waiting for it,” she added.
But hope does not defeat a pandemic — vaccines do. And Uganda doesn’t have enough to vaccinate even a tiny portion of its population. With the severe international shortage, Uganda and countries like it look set to have to
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