The director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on March 11 that the continent needs to develop the capacity to produce its own coronavirus vaccines. According to AP, Africa is declining in its effort to vaccinate 60 per cent of its 1.3 billion people as soon as possible. Several African countries have started taking jabs, but experts have said the continent needs far greater doses for large-scale operations in an effort to protect more than half of the region’s population.
African countries receive vaccines from the international COVAX initiative and from donors such as India, China and Russia. Health experts have said the continent’s dependence on imported vaccines could hamper the defense campaign. Previously, Africa had targeted the vaccination of 60 per cent of its population by the end of this year; however, now the target is set for a year later, ie, by the end of 2022.
It is important that there is ‘vaccine security’ in Africa
In a press release, African CDC director Dr. John Nkengasong said at least five African countries, including South Africa, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt, appear to have potential. make vaccines. Nkengasong said a meeting is planned for April 12 between the African Union and external partners to create a “roadmap” for increasing African capacity to implement the COVID-19 vaccine. He said it is so important for the continent to have vaccine security.
Birgitte Markussen, head of the European Union delegation to the African Union, said in a separate statement that efforts will be made to support local production of the vaccine. She said close friendships are important to ensure that no one is left behind the global efforts to stop the pandemic. Furthermore, Markussen said that as more doses continue to be delivered, the real job is to ensure that vaccines and their associated equipment supply are quickly put in the right condition, the sizes right and also in the right places.
Meanwhile, Nkengasong reported that at least 22 of the 54 African countries have received COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX campaign to ensure that low- and middle-income countries receive vaccines. . He said shipments ranging from a few thousand doses to millions were sent to countries between Nigeria and Uganda. In addition, the director of the CDC said that the vaccines that came in a few days ago left happy and felt that there was “light at the end of the tunnel”.