COVID-19 policy should be all-inclusive

THE move by the government to come up with a national COVID-19 vaccination policy or strategy to flatten the curve is a welcome development. According to acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Jenfan Muswere, the move was triggered by the soaring COVID-19 infections with the country recording 24 256 cumulative cases and 589 deaths as at January 13.

Whether the mass COVID-19 vaccinations are the panacea to flatten the curve, which has seen cases continuing to spiral after a second deadly wave of the virus hit the country and many others across the world, resulting in an increased number of deaths, is a matter for another day.

Whatever strategy the government comes up with, it should be transparent and beneficial to the majority of Zimbabweans desperately in need of the medicine. The government should be wary of opportunists wanting to benefit at the expense of the deserving public.

Citizens have still not forgotten the multimillion-dollar COVID-19 medical supplies scandal which cost former Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo’s job and sucked in Drax International local representative — convict Delish Nguwaya — and the First Family.

It also cost National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) chief executive Florence Sifeku and her top managers’ jobs.

While this is a crisis of global proportions, we have no doubt that others view this as an opportunity to rake in billions of dollars and thus all State security apparatuses including the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission should be on high alert.

Although millions of people around the world have already received the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine, there are high chances that if Zimbabwe fails to follow official channels to secure this medicine, fake drugs may end up on our shelves to the detriment of our people.

It is important that government orders the drugs from World Health Organisation (WHO)-approved manufacturers. The pandemic has seen many companies manufacturing fake drugs for sale to Third World countries or developing nations like Zimbabwe, hence it is time to increase our vigilance so as to protect our people.

We appreciate the fact that injecting 10 million locals will flatten the curve, but it is also important to ensure any COVID-19-related drugs coming into the country are put to the test before distribution to the people.

Zimbabwe is a mineral-rich nation. We are not a charity case such that we should wait for donations from the so-called donor countries in the West. That would be foolish on the part of the country’s leadership which politically demand sovereignty while on fronts such as these normally extend their hands for alms.

We believe with theories flying around over the effects of some of these drugs, it is important to fork out national resources to ensure our standards are met to protect the population.

Whatever policy government will come up with should be universal — in other words it should apply to all regardless of who they are. There should be no policy for leadership and another for the poor majority.

This could no doubt instil confidence in the public and ensure that whatever vaccination strategy or campaign will face no resistance.

Besides, government should consult local leadership — traditional, political, media and religious to get the COVID-19 messages to the grassroots.