Africa must be among the first beneficiaries of vaccines against the Covid-19 pandemic and that they are not monopolized by those who
"have the means"
financially, said Wednesday the president of the Commission of the African Union (UA), Moussa Faki Mahamat.
“Vaccines must be available.
Those who can afford it shouldn't monopolize vaccines.
Africa must also be included among those who will benefit from the first moments of these vaccines ”
, underlined the official of the AU, during a joint press conference with the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio. Guterres.
Read also: Covid-19: Africa far from being ready for mass vaccination, warns WHO
"It is first necessary that the means are available to buy these vaccines because they are not free",
declared Moussa Faki Mahamat, insisting on
"accessibility to vaccines".
“As part of the Covax (coalition against the coronavirus launched by the World Health Organization to ensure that vaccines will be distributed equitably), we were promised roughly 20% of African demand.
But at least 60% of the population should be easily vaccinated, which is a minimum to achieve perhaps collective immunity,
”he said.
Antonio Guterres clarified that
"Africa so far has recorded more than 2.2 million cases and more than 53,000 deaths"
of Covid-19.
Another challenge,
"particularly accentuated in Africa, are the issues of logistics and conservation"
, also noted the head of the AU.
For the UN chief,
"there is real hope that vaccines - combined with other public health measures - will help overcome the pandemic
.
"
"I reiterate my call for vaccines against Covid-19 to be a public good available to all, everywhere, and particularly accessible in Africa,"
he said.
Antonio Guterres said he would get the vaccine as soon as he could.
"I encourage all those who have access to vaccines to be vaccinated because it is not only a service to be rendered"
but it is a service
"for the whole of our community because we no longer transmit '
disease in this case, he added, citing a
"moral obligation toward all."