Africa’s CDC Head Calls for Richer Nations to be Fair When it Comes to Buying Covid-19 Vaccines

Countries that have ordered more Covid-19 vaccines than they need should consider distributing excess doses to Africa, the head of the continent’s disease control body said on Thursday. As African countries begin to feel the effects of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said it was unlikely to secure enough vaccine shots. Many African states are relying on Covax, a global Covid-19 vaccine allocation plan co-led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is working to lower prices and discourage hoarding. The African Union-owned CDC organisation is working with the Afreximbank and the World Bank to figure out how to raise funds for the procurement of the vaccines needed for the continent. In October, Nkengasong said Afreximbank was ready to raise up to $5bn to purchase Covid-19 vaccines.

SOURCE: BUSINESS DAY LIVE