France to help Africa produce more Covid-19 vaccines locally

President Emmanuel Macron said France would invest in boosting the production of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa, to help close a gap in the availability of the shots between African and Western nations.
“we will have an investment strategy to help these industries produce more Covid-19 vaccines, and quite quickly,” he said at a joint news conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria.
He said France already had a partnership with South Africa’s Biovac Institute, and went ahead to open another one with South African pharmaceutical company Aspen.
“We need to vaccinate as quickly as possible the maximum number of people…all over the world,” Macron said.
“It is our moral duty; it is also in everyone’s interests.”
Macron is on the second and final leg of an Africa trip that included Rwanda.

Also Read:
French President on a two-day visit to South Africa
He reiterated support for waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, a move supported by US President Joe Biden, but opposed by Germany.
Vaccine prices
At the launch of his vaccine support initiative at Pretoria University, Macron called for regulated vaccine prices to prevent African nations being ripped off.
“Poor countries are paying much more probably than the rich countries. We are crazy,” he said.
“Number one fight: … we need common pricing. This is the best way not to waste public money.”
Ramaphosa said earlier this month that if wealthy nations hogged Covid-19 shots while millions in poor countries died waiting for them it would amount to “vaccine apartheid”.
The European Union will deliver more than 100 million doses to Africa this year, of which 30 million will come from France.

Edited by Olajumoke Adeleke