With COVAX under increasing pressure to make sure health workers in the poorest communities receive a vaccine, in March Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) – the world’s largest humanitarian airline – delivered numerous batches of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the most remote locations in Lesotho, southern Africa.

Delivering jabs to unreachable, mountainside clinics at Kuebunyane, Labakeng and Matsaile, MAF aircraft achieved critical last-mile delivery to allow more than 200 rural healthcare workers to receive a Covid-19 vaccination. The humanitarian flights saved 8 to 10 hours of overland travel, with the nearest hospital a dangerous hike across steep mountainous terrain.

This was the beginning of Lesotho’s rural vaccine roll-out using the first AstraZeneca vaccines which arrived on March 4.

MAF pilot Grant Strugnell said: “Reaching these locations by road is just too difficult. MAF is the only air service to connect these remote regions to vital medical supplies. It’s really good news these rural health workers were included in this round of vaccination.”

With more than six decades of experience in vaccine delivery and the ability to fly super-freezing facilities, MAF is preparing its fleet for large-scale vaccine roll out across the most hard-toreach pockets of the developing world.

MAF’s International Development Manager Vaughan Woodward said: “As an aero-logistical specialist, MAF can overcome a variety of logistical challenges and carry out remote area vaccination programmes in inaccessible or dangerous locations. While sadly the demand for Covid-19 vaccines continues to exceed supply in the most vulnerable countries, MAF teams are doing everything they can to provide global, last-mile delivery of vaccines as quickly and safely as possible to ensure equitable access for the most isolated communities.”

 (MAF)