By Austin Maho Ph.D
The statement by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General recently during a virtual news conference gives cause for concern as it has become clear that the coronavirus is accelerating and spreading at a worrisome rate.
“Although many countries have made some progress, globally, the pandemic is actually speeding up,” The WHO DG had said. “We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives, but the hard reality is that this is not even close to being over.”
According to records released by Johns Hopkins University, the pandemic has infected more than 10.1 million people around the world and killed at least 502,634 people as at June ending.
While the United States and Brazil account for a large proportion of new coronavirus cases, eyes are also on the growing cases of the disease in Africa. The African Union, AU, is keeping its eyes on the rising figures and has made vaccine accessibility to African countries a priority when one is eventually developed.
Since most of the vaccines currently undergoing trials are not of African origin, the concerns of African countries as expressed by the AU in a recent communique are in the areas of sufficient supply to African countries when a vaccine is developed, removal of impediments to vaccine roll in Africa, fast-tracking regulatory approval and effective control measures and administration.
In all the countries were vaccine development have reached an advance stage of trial only China has given assurances that a Chinese developed vaccine would be declared a global public good, thereby making it immediately available to all countries and people of the world especially, African countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was very clear about this at the 73 section of the World Health Assembly and Africa China Summit on COVID-19.
In both event, he had called for building a global community of health for all and also announced measures to boost the global fight against COVID-19.
The Chinese leader has always place Africa in a special position in the fight against the coronavirus:
“We must provide greater support for Africa. Developing countries, African countries, in particular, have weaker public health systems. Helping them build capacity must be our top priority in COVID-19 response. The world needs to provide more material, technological and personnel support for African countries” he said during the 73 section of the World Health Assembly. He echoed similar position at the China Africa Summit on COVID-19 were he promised unequivocally to make a Chinese developed vaccine available to African countries and advocated debt cancellations by rich countries for Africa with China taking the lead.
A few days after, President Xi Jinping statement, the European Union (EU) headed the call by provided EUR 10 million towards the implementation of the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 Outbreak. The funding according to media report is the initial contribution by Europe to the continental action against COVID-19.
Echoing the long-held position of President Xi Jinping, Ambassador Ranieri Sabatucci of the EU, said “Global solidarity is key to fighting COVID-19. This is why in these difficult times partnership between Team Europe and the African Union is as strong and reliable as ever”
Dr John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC responded also calling for global solidarity in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic:
“This pandemic is a global challenge and it requires everybody working together with a unique level of cooperation”.
Africa’s strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic is built around the Africa CDC, the lead institution for Africa’s preparedness and coordinated response infectious disease and control.
It is a specialized technical institution of the African Union with a mandate to safeguard the health of Africa, Africa CDC supports all Member States in their efforts to effectively respond to disease threats. Given the continent’s fragile health systems and economic situation, the pandemic is already having a heavy toll on Africa. Therefore, Africa needs extraordinary efforts at all levels by all stakeholders to prevent further transmission, deaths and social and economic harm resulting from COVID-19.
Hence the efforts by China to strengthen the African CDC, by accelerating the construction and equipping of its headquarters and the donation by the EU are welcome developments.
It has become obvious that the primary way the world can finally bring the coronavirus pandemic under control is through the development and deployment of an effective vaccine. Not surprising the race is on by the big powers to develop an effective vaccine against Covid-19.
However, while the big powers are at the forefront in the development of a vaccine, African countries it would seem are on the sidelines waiting to benefit from the final outcome of these efforts.
It would be unfortunate and deadly if Africa is not taken into consideration in the development of a vaccine for obvious reasons.
A vaccine can only be effective if it has extensive trails across diverse countries and races. It is for this reason that health experts agree that the vaccine should be extensively tested in African countries.
South African and Kenya have already taken the lead in vaccine trials in Africa, happily irrespective of initial fears and pushback, Nigeria may soon join, South Africa in human trials of the vaccine. The Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Prof. Innocent Ujah recently called for collaboration between Nigerian doctors/scientist and their Chinese counterpart in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
There is no known cure yet for the coronavirus, a vaccine is seen as a sure solution in bringing the pandemic to an end. A vaccine that must have universal application, not just for wealthy nations.
This is why it is highly important that extensive human testing is carried out in Africa. Nobody and no country should be relegated to the background on account of race, or economic status.
The call being champion by African leaders for a “people’s vaccine” should be supported by all nation of the world and pharmaceutical companies spearheading the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa and Chairman of the African Union captured this position very well when he said the development of a coronavirus vaccine should be one that is, “Patent-free, rapidly made and distributed, and free for all”. Nobody he said, “Should be pushed to the back of the vaccine queue because of where they live or what they earn,”
The search for a vaccine against the coronavirus calls for global solidarity, African countries, who have suffered the pains of under-development for ages must not be left behind this time around but carried along in the quest for a solution to this global pandemic.
