AFRICA SIGNS UP FOR GROUND-BREAKING COVID-19 VACCINE INITIATIVE

All African countries have signed up to secure at least 220 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine once licensed and approved, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced. The African vaccine deal is being advanced through the Covax, a global initiative which is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the WHO.

The deal was announced as Botswana continues to record infections. On Monday, the Coordinator of the presidential COVID-19 task team, Dr Kereng masupu announced 124 new coronavirus cases over the weekend bringing to 2126 the number of confirmed infections. So far 1039 total confirmed Batswana cases have been recorded, there are 537 active cases, 493 individuals have recovered. Cumulatively, the country has tested 133 917 samples since it recorded its first case in March. One more patient has succumbed to the disease bringing total fatalities at nine.

“The initial batch will cover 20 per cent of the African population, initially prioritising the front line, healthcare workers, then expanding to cover vulnerable groups,” said Richard Mihigo, programme manager for WHO Africa, in a virtual briefing recently.

He explained that the initiative seeks to ensure access for all: both higher and middleincome countries which will self-finance their own participation, and lower-middleincome and low-income countries, which will have their participation supported by the Covax Advance Market Commitment (AMC).

The Covax-AMC has raised $700 million against an initial target of securing $2 billion seed funding from high- income donor countries, as well as private sector and philanthropists by the end of 2020.

“By working together with other governments and manufacturers on a global scale and pooling buying power, countries can protect the people most vulnerable to the disease in Africa,” WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti said.

Dr Moeti advised African countries to ensure that they participate in the ongoing global Covid-19 vaccine trials so that if a vaccine is found it will be safe and effective in protecting everybody regardless of their race.

Dr Richard Hatchett, Cepi chief executive, said it is critical that Africa participates in vaccine trials.

“Testing vaccines on the continent ensures that sufficient data is generated on the safety and efficacy of the most promising vaccine candidates for the African population so they can be confidently rolled out in Africa once vaccines are approved,” he said.

Cepi is investing in the research and development of a range of vaccine candidates to deliver safe and effective vaccines to those who need them most.Covax aims to procure and deliver two billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021. It has nine vaccine candidates, two being South African.

Without this participation, scientists warn that it could take Africa between six and nine months to access the vaccines, because none will be used without being tested for efficacy.

Scientists have agreed that African countries will need to have in place the right systems and infrastructure to define the regulatory and ethical pathways for quick approval of a candidate vaccine. Countries will need to have logistics and supply chain systems which can reach not only the traditional target populations for routine immunisations and campaigns but be ready to vaccinate a much larger target population.