Ignorant ActionAid a disgrace

IT is a disgrace that ActionAid, a non-Governmental institution that claims international credentials has no idea that Hayat-Vax is a legitimate Covid-19 vaccine.

For ActionAid to issue an official report claiming that Hayat-Vax is a fake vaccine, is mind boggling and a display of paralysing ignorance or at worst malice and dishonesty.

They should know that Hayat-Vax is a joint collaboration between Sinopharm CNBG and Abu Dhabi’s G42. Sinopharm is the Chinese company that has distributed to Zambia among many other countries.

They should also know that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use of the Hayat-Vax Covid-19 vaccine manufactured in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has become the first country in the Arab world to begin manufacturing a Covid-19 vaccine.

The launch of the vaccine manufacturing capabilities in the UAE, has been lauded as a momentous step in the fight against Covid-19, according to Peng Xiao, Chief Executive Officer of G42.

In the Philippines, the Hayat-Vax vaccine, donated by the UAE, is identical to the Sinopharm vaccine from China, and will be administered to people aged 18 and above, FDA chief Rolando Enrique Domingo announced.

At this stage, there is a need that Zambians must turn up in large numbers and get vaccinated against Covid-19 before the fourth wave sets in.

Instead of issuing scare reports ActionAid should be working with the government to encourage as many people as possible to get jabs.

Government has been rolling out vaccines - Johnson and Johnson, Sinopharm as well as AstraZeneca dose one and dose two.

One of the most devastating effects of Covid-19 has been deaths of people including those in their prime age of their life.

The pandemic has scuttled the education calendar and also impacted negatively on the economic outlay of the country.

Many countries have had to close their borders and also imposed other restrictions such as lock downs, thereby restricting economic activities.

On many occasions, businesses and schools have been closed as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus.

All businesses, small and big have been impacted negatively as they have had to absorb rising costs.

In fact, the Zambian economy was already stressed and the outbreak of Covid-19 worsened the situation.

In Zambia, the healthcare system has been strained such that focus has shifted from other serious health challenges such as malaria to Covid-19 prevention, education and treatment.

At global level, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, recently insisted that there are no shortcuts, hence recommended a comprehensive and proven public health and social measures in combination with vaccination.

Therefore, Zambians must believe in vaccines instead of debating conspiracy theories that tend to discourage others.