The African Union (AU) special envoy for covid-19 said Thursday that only 10% of the 320 million vaccines that Covax had announced would reach the region in August have arrived in Africa.
Strive Masiyiwa, a Zimbabwean millionaire and philanthropist who has been committed to providing African people with access to covid-19 vaccines, was speaking during the weekly, and virtual, meeting of the African Union Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), during which a “historic” goal in pandemic vaccination on the continent was announced.
Starting this Thursday, the 400 million doses of vaccines that AU member states have committed to purchase to immunize part of Africa’s population will begin to be distributed in the region, with Covax, the mechanism for universal and equitable distribution of vaccines against covid-19, from which 92 poor countries benefit, the rest.
Strive Masiyiwa did not question the reasons that led to this delay in the arrival of vaccines via covax, but was peremptory: “I am a businessman, I focus on results. By now 320 million doses should have arrived and they haven’t.”
The target of 320 million doses delivered in August was set by the Covax mechanism itself, according to Stive Masiyiwa.
The philanthropist welcomed the work done by the African Union (AU), which allowed, as of this Thursday, to start sending vaccines purchased by this organization to its member states.
According to Strive Masiyiwa, the first country to receive these vaccines will be Togo and their distribution on the continent will occur until September 2022. In August alone, 6.4 million doses will be shipped, with Unicef ensuring the logistical work of administering the vaccines.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was chosen because it is a single dose, easier and cheaper to administer, but also because it has a long shelf life and favorable storage conditions.
Another factor that weighed in the choice of this vaccine was the fact that it is partly manufactured on the African continent.
On March 28, the AU member states signed an agreement (African Vaccine Acquisition Trust – AVAT) to purchase 220 million doses of the covid-19 vaccine and the possibility of ordering an additional 180 million doses.
For South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the African country most affected by covid-19, “this is an important step forward in Africa’s efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of its people.”
“By working together and pooling resources, African countries have been able to secure millions of doses of vaccine produced right here in Africa. This will give a boost to the fight against covid-19 across the continent and lay the foundation for Africa’s social and economic recovery,” he said.
A vaccine procurement of this magnitude is a first on the African continent and is also the first time that AU member states have collectively procured vaccines to safeguard the health of Africa’s population.
The 400 million doses of vaccines are enough to immunize one third of Africa’s population and bring Africa halfway to its continental goal of vaccinating at least 60 percent of the population.
International donors have committed to provide the remaining half of the needed doses through the covax initiative.
The vaccine doses now beginning to be distributed are produced at Aspen Pharmacare’s facility in Gqeberha, South Africa.
For Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong, the deliveries starting now will help the continent achieve “the vaccination levels needed to protect African lives and livelihoods.”
Nkengasong also took advantage of a question raised by a journalist during the press conference to clarify that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks, and that its safety is constantly monitored.
The agreement with Johnson & Johnson was made possible through a $2 billion facility provided by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), whose president, Benedict Oramah, believes it will help “contain the spread of the virus and protect lives and livelihoods.”
For her part, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Vera Songwe, called this a “proud moment for the continent”.
“The vaccines, partly manufactured in South Africa, are real proof that local production and joint procurement, as envisaged under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are key to achieving a more sustainable post-covid economic recovery across the continent,” she said.
This vaccine procurement and distribution is supported by an innovative partnership between the World Bank and the AU, whereby the World Bank supports the AVATT initiative with resources that enable countries to purchase and distribute vaccines to up to 400 million people across Africa.
World Bank Executive Director for Operations Axel van Trotsenburg joined in the congratulations, saying that “today marks an important milestone in the AU’s tireless efforts to bring covid-19 vaccines to Africa.”
