A VIAL of the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, image, Reuters
AFRICA’S calls for an end to Covid-19 vaccine apartheid were heard at Davos, as the world’s nations chartered a path towards global economic recovery amidst the resurgence of the pandemic in key market economies.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Switzerland has been pondering on the world’s most pressing issues, but it was Africa’s ongoing battle against Covid-19 virus that touched many hearts.
Global pharmaceutical group Pfizer announced that it will provide all its current and future patent-protected medicines and vaccines available in the US or EU, on a not-for-profit basis to 45 lower-income countries.
Health officials in these countries will help identify and resolve hurdles beyond supply to inform the roll-out in their countries.
Pfizer said that Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda will be the first five African countries to benefit from the not-for-profit drugs rolled out at a manufacturing price.
Under the ‘Accord for a Healthier World’, Pfizer committed to provide 23 medicines and vaccines that treat infectious diseases, certain cancers, and rare and inflammatory diseases.
Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said they had learned during the first global Covid-19 vaccine rollout that supply was only the first step to helping patients.
“We will work closely with global health leaders to make improvements in diagnosis, education, infrastructure, storage and more,” he said.
“Only when all the obstacles are overcome can we end healthcare inequities and deliver for all patients.”
Pfizer also called on global health leaders and organisations to join the Accord by bringing their expertise and resources to close the health equity gap, and help create a healthier world for 1.2 billion people.
African leaders including African Union (AU) chairperson and President of Senegal, Macky Sall, said they were in full support of the accord as it sought to improve health equity and outcomes for the people of the continent.
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said the accord would restore the dignity of Africans.
"The great thing about this Accord is that it helps low-income countries without violating their dignity and agency as people, for it is a true partnership that involves both Pfizer and countries like Malawi sharing the burden of costs and tasks in the production and delivery of supplies that will save millions of lives,” Chakwera said.
“This is how all global problems should be tackled.”
This is a victory for the AU's call for critical medicine patent waivers and vaccine equity for more than a year as Africa lagged behind.
According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control, one in five Africans have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine while wealthy countries roll out their third and fourth doses.
This prevailing vaccine inequity has seen even leading economists Jayati Ghosh and Joseph Stiglitz waging a campaign to support a waiver of intellectual property rules on Covid-19 technologies.
South Africa is manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines, boosting the supply of jabs needed to vaccinate Africa’s population.
Brand SA acting chief executive Sithembile Ntombela said the success of South Africa’s vaccine manufacturing programme was underpinned by the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, which are the largest and most advanced in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ntombela said collaboration between government and the private sector was critical to sustaining the economic recovery.
“In Davos, we conveyed to our global counterparts that South Africa is a low-risk, attractive investment destination that has a potential to give investors sustainable, long-term returns,” she said.
“South Africa is also a location of choice for multinationals looking to expand across the continent and take advantage of our country’s growing ecosystem that supports innovation, technology, and fintech.”
The WEF also tackled issues on the high inflationary environment and Russian/Ukraine war, along with the related energy crisis and food poverty, and the interwoven risks, which add to weakened market sentiment as they exacerbate the risk of recession.
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