THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
AN UPDATE ON WHAT I AM PERSONALLY DOING TO CONFRONT THE VIRUS HEAD-ON
THE Covid-19 pandemic is here to stay. Globally, so far 106 million people have been infected; 59 million have recovered; and 2.6 million dead.
In Zambia, so far 62, 400 have been infected; 53, 000 recovered; and 840 dead. As a Covid-19 survivor myself, and having seen what happens at the isolation centres, I know how it feels to be a Covid-19 patient.
So beyond political rhetoric, every one of us must do something concrete to ensure that no one in their area of jurisdiction, suffers from this disease at all.
Of course, at global level vaccines are being developed, distributed, and now administered in some jurisdictions. However, in developing countries like Zambia, our governments are still consulting on which vaccine to go for.
Hopefully, these consultations will be concluded soon so that people in the developing world start getting vaccinated against this terrible virus.
Ironically from global press reports, it appears that the entire world is certainly in for a long-haul flight with Covid-19. The virus is mutating, and new variants are emerging, one of them being the South African variant.
Already, research is showing that vaccines, so far developed, are less effective against emerging variants. This means that unlike the polio and other vaccines that have been effective against mutants, the Covid-19 virus will require development of new vaccines for variants, as they emerge, from time to time.
What makes matters worse is that the variants are proving to be spreading very fast, and they rapidly incapacitate vital organs of victims, thereby killing victims very, very quickly indeed.
Furthermore, one of the reasons that most developing countries like Zambia have not yet received vaccines is that the vaccines are very expensive requiring a global strategy for poor countries to procure them through economies of scale. They cost about US$100 per jab. Developing countries can only afford them at US$3 per jab. But, the cost is not the only hurdle.
There is also an emerging trend of vaccine nationalism and regionalism. Countries that are developing vaccines have banned export of vaccines until their national and regional demand is satisfied.
The question is: when will their national and regional demand be satisfied, considering that the virus is mutating all the time, thereby requiring new vaccines on on-going basis? Kaya!
After careful analysis of the situation, I came up with an idea. I surmised that building local capacity to develop vaccines is the solution for Africa, and Zambia in particular.
After exploring this idea since March last year, I have come to realise that there so many Zambians, at home and abroad, who are trained and are very much specialised in vaccine development. I have also come to realise that within the sub-Saharan Africa region, there is a pool of extremely knowledgeable specialist in this field.
I have since engaged some of them, and with their guidance, I am now in the initial phase of setting up a private-sector-driven vaccine manufacturing plant in Zambia, which I have planned to locate in Ndola.
I am discussing with multinational financiers so that this idea takes off the ground. It is very encouraging that response from the financiers has been very positive. They are now looking forward to receiving feasibility reports.
In this regard, together with my team of Zambian and regional specialists, we have started looking at engineering aspects: architectural designs, fabrication, construction, including validation, with a view to get these aspects properly addressed and linking them to national and international regulatory requirements, per suggestions made by the prospective financiers.
Last Friday, we had a zoom discussion with an experienced engineering company based in Australia which specialises in vaccine plants designs.
The firm has been tasked and is in the process of developing the scope, design, procurement plan, construction, Installation Qualification and Operation Qualification (IQ/OQ), start-up or Process Qualification (PQ), validation, and approval issues.
Even though, according to the engineering firm, the schedule duration for construction of such plants is typically five years, I have been advised to engage Government to buy into the idea so that we hasten the government approval processes.
For the execution of the project of this nature, and looking at the gravity of the pandemic and mutation aspects of the virus, it is important to receive building permission early, and to plan and manage the construction phases in a way that minimises construction time.
Additionally, it is extremely important to build sufficient scientific, technical and regulatory expertise in Zambia, e.g., by sending scientists, technicians and regulators for training to sites/countries with process and regulatory expertise.
It is better to use several expert companies with sufficient staff to work in parallel on sub-areas of the overall plan for the best and efficient project execution and meanwhile using collaborating institutions for global support on capacity building in human resources, improving national regulatory agencies, and other aspects of technology transfer in each step.
In this regard, I am into discussions with potential sister companies in Europe that are into manufacture of vaccines. Through the regional specialists, I am also into discussions with Africa regional agencies responsible for vaccines distribution.
The specialists are also engaging the World Health Organisation, through the GAVI. The outcome of the discussions are really encouraging.
Everything being equal, I am sure that by end of 2022, we will have made significant progress in setting up the first vaccine manufacturing plant in Zambia, and probably Africa.
As always, thinking outside the box, this is what I am personally doing, beyond political rhetoric, to practically confront the Covid-19 pandemic head-on.
SERENA Williams launched her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam with a 56-minute demolition of Laura Siegemund at the Australian Open.
The American, 39, said it was “vintage Serena” as she thrashed the German 6-1 6-1 in front of a small, unmasked crowd on Rod Laver Arena.
US Open champion Naomi Osaka also made a convincing start with a 6-1 6-2 win over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
But former champion Angelique Kerber was the first seed to be knocked out.
The German 23rd seed, who was one of 72 players to spend 14 days in ‘hard’ quarantine before the tournament - confined to a hotel room and unable to train outside - was beaten 6-0 6-4 by American Bernarda Pera.
Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam champion, said the quarantine had affected her form for the major. American 24th seed Alison Riske, who also did the hard quarantine, lost 6-2 6-1 to Russian world number 101 Anastasia Potapova.
French Open champion Iga Swiatek raced into the second round with a 6-1 6-3 win over
Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands, but US Open quarter-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria lost 7-5 6-2 to Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei.
Hseih will next play Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, who beat Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2 4-6 6-3 in her first match for 15 months.
Second seed Simona Halep raced into the second round with a 6-2 6-1 win over Australian wildcard Lizette Cabrera in just 59 minutes.
Czech Petra Kvitova, who was runner-up to Osaka in 2019, also advanced by beating Greet Minnen of Belgium 6-3 6-4.- BBC.
Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda scored a hat-trick and a brace respectively while young Meylan Mulenga, Prisca Chilufya and Ireen Lungu contributed a goal apiece for the Bruce Mwapedrilled girls to triumph. After humbling Lesotho in the first
Banda, who is on the books of Chigame the Copper Queens will end nese outfit Shanghai Shengli broke the group stage with a tricky tie against deadlock on the half hour mark to give Malawi on November 9 at the Wolfson Zambia the lead in the first half. Stadium.
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MPONDELA PRESSURE
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described yesterday’s virtual batch losing of funding millions which to illegal had since minbeen to the National Division One clubs from
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success.
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or educated can stop other Christians disbursed Mr Simukonda K500, 000 said to each disof the 18 remainder to be remitted once the Super ciplined Division Zambia teams National that are entitled second component has been received
from dedicating the country to to K1 Service million (ZNS) per season. officers The and second by FAZ. batch thousands will be disbursed of unemployed once the The FAZ/MTN Super Division has 18
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SUPREMO
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illegal miners, most of them By SIMON MUNTEMBA
funded by foreigners.