African health and economic experts have warned African countries to stop depending on donor agencies and countries for vaccines.
The experts were speaking during one of the Webinar series put together by the Coalition on Africa Development, (CoDA) heralding the official launch of the Independent Task Team on the development of vaccine and equitable universal access to essential vaccines and vaccination in Africa with the theme: vaccine research and development in Africa: perspectives from the academics, held in Okada, Edo state
According to the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe and an independent technology and strategy consultant, based in Sandton, South Africa, Prof. Mutambara, COVID-19 has been a wake- up call to Africa.
“It has been a wake-up call. One lesson is Africa cannot depend on the goodwill of other nations in terms of vaccines. We need a self sufficient vaccine. Health security is national security. Security requires continental health security.” Prof. Mutambara said.
He said that Africa needs a vaccine strategy.
“We maybe too late about COVID-19, what about malaria, HIV, and sickle cell anemia, other diseases ravaging the continent. We want to have the Government create an enabling environment for the private sector to play a role in manufacturing vaccines. To be part of the roll out strategy of vaccination, 40 percent of GDP must go to health. We must control the agenda and not continue to depend on donors.” He said.
He also said that Africa needs vaccine sovereignty and continental security.
Prof. Mutambara said “donors will not encourage Africa to develop, they will not want you to stop biting from them. Once we get that right we would be able to also supply others. We want GAVI and Global funds to buy from Africa the vaccines manufactured in Africa to market to the other parts of the world.”
He added that Africans must work together to develop their own vaccines through the private sector, and fund vaccine productions.
An international economist and former Principal Regional Adviser for Development Planning at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Professor Sylvain Boko, said that there must be focus in tackling the issue of vaccines production in Africa.
” We must not forget that vaccine issues are not just health, but economic and business. Health economy is a matter of policy. It is what they must pay attention to. We must not forget that this is the area where Africa as a continent will see growth rapidly compared to other nations. This is something the Government alone can not do. It has to be a Public Private Partnership” He said.
“We would save in terms of foreign exchange. The skilled capacity. What they try to tell us in Africa is that the amount to start is insurmountable to start production of vaccine. Now we need just 250 to 300 million dollars to start. We can achieve this.”
He added that Africa represents about 1.3billion dollars vaccine market today and it is estimates that the market size will double before 2030.
The Chief medical director of Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital, Consultant hematologist, and stem cell Transplantologist, Professor Godwin Bazuaye, in his remarks, stated that the time is not too late for Africa to start towards achieving self reliance in the area of health care.
“There is the Benin proverb that says that whenever you wake up is your morning. Africa has just woken up. The Covid-19 is a wake-up call and Africa has woken up now. Everyone needs vaccines. The children need vaccines immediately after health. Growing up you need vaccines.Over 1.5 billion dollars yearly is what Africa spends on vaccines. We should be able to train African in research, training, manufacturing and production of vaccines. Nothing is wrong with African being an exporter. Nothing is impossible. Most of those in the western world are African who are helping other countries to develop vaccines.” Prof Bazuaye said.
Similarly, the First ever Senior Technical and Policy Adviser to the Director, Africa CDC, and an international Health Consultant Dr Philip Onyebujoh, stated that Africa has an advantage that other countries don’t have.
“What gives us the edge is that our continent has the greatest genetic diversity. That gives us an advantage. The genetic means that we have a wider spectrum to look into. We need to begin to capture the essence of vaccinology”. Dr Onyebujoh said.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Coalition on Africa Development, CoDA, Souad Aden-Osman, reiterated that Africans needs local solutions to health crises ravaging the continent.
“What Africans are waiting for is not a conversation abroad. We cannot continue to think that we would come out with solutions if we are not asking ourselves the right questions.” She said.
On his part, the President, Pan African Manufactures Association, Eng Ahmed Mansur, advocated that the key issues are internalizing the process.
” If Africa is going to solve its own issues, we must do so internally even though we would need others. We have a situation today where other nations smaller than ours are addressing their issue, yet Africa is waiting for others. We must beging to think of providing solutions internally.” Mansur said.
He said that interms of production, African manufacturing must begin to manufacture products that would sustain African economy.
“The issue of vaccines by Africa is basically for Africa to own it process, research and development, thinking and distribution. The finances can come from anywhere. It doesn’t matter if we borrow from other people.” He added.
The experts stressed that Africa has the capacity and wherewithal to solve it’s own problem if only there is a fruitful and continuous partnership between Governments at all levels and the private sector.
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