AFRICA FOCUS BY JESSIE TAYLOR
The AU’s
Vaccination Response Unity and co-operation – Africa’s secret in fighting future pandemics
T
he dream of a free trade between African states could be key to creating a medical manufacturing economy on the continents – a focus that has become vital as Africa Union members pool resources to fight Covid-19. While Africa has been one of the continents least affected by the spread of Corona virus, the roll out of vaccines has been met with challenges which include: purchasing power, competing with wealthy developed nations in securing vaccine supplies, as well as certain shortcomings in the healthcare systems of some African countries. Not only do most African countries face the challenge of providing healthcare to rural or inaccessible communities, they also are significantly reliant on the import of medical supplies and medications. Less than 2% of the 690 million Covid-19 vaccine doses
24 | Public Sector Leaders | May 2021
administered globally have been in Africa. Many countries on the continent received vaccines in early May. Of the 43 countries to have received vaccine, 10 countries have administered 93% of the doses.
The African Union is aiming to vaccinate at least 750 million people, or 60% of the population “Although progress is being made, many African countries have only just moved beyond the starting line. Limited stocks and supply bottlenecks are putting Covid-19 vaccines out of reach of many people in this region,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. Moeti explained that vaccine roll out in some countries has been delayed by operational and financial hurdles or logistical
difficulties such as reaching remote locations. “Africa is already playing Covid-19 vaccination catch-up, and the gap is widening. While we acknowledge the immense burden placed by the global demand for vaccines, inequity can only worsen scarcity,” said Dr Moeti. “More than a billion Africans remain on the margins of this historic march to overcome the pandemic.” Through the COVAX Facility, 16.6 million vaccine doses – mainly AstraZeneca – have been delivered to African countries. The African Union has secured 400-million Covid-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which are expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2021. The African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (Avat) could increase this order by an additional 180-million doses during 2022. There have been an estimated 4.3 million Covid-19 cases on the African continent,
