EAST AFRICA
RWANDA: Paul Kagame calls for fair distribution of vaccines
The Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, has been very critical, in a public forum, against the Western powers that have monopolized vaccines against the coronavirus. He was particularly concerned about vaccine nationalism in Europe and North America, where some countries have acquired more doses than they need.
The frantic race to acquire the anti-Covid vaccines is raging. Faced with the announced delay in delivery by some laboratories, countries such as France and Germany have put forward the idea of restricting the export of vaccines. A situation that is not the taste of Paul Kagame who denounces the blockage of the supply of several countries. “The rich and powerful nations rushed to block the supply of several vaccine candidates. Even worse, some people accumulate vaccines and buy far more doses than they need. This leaves African and other developing countries far behind in the vaccine queue, or not at all,” he said.
There are, according to Kagame, worrying signs of vaccine nationalism in Europe and North America. The pressure on political leaders to vaccinate all their citizens before sharing supplies with others is understandable. But he believes that forcing smaller or poorer countries to wait for everyone in the North to be supported is short-sighted.
According to him, delaying access to vaccines for citizens of developing countries is ultimately much more costly. “The pandemic will rage and paralyze the global economy.New changes may continue at a faster pace.The world risks reversing decades of progress in human development and overshadowing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
In this context, he points out, the billions of dollars it would cost to distribute vaccines in developing countries are not particularly high, given the return on investment. “This would unlock global trade, which would benefit all trading nations on the long road to economic recovery that lies ahead. We need global value chains to be fully operational again and to include everyone,” he said.
In 2020, the world came together to provide additional fiscal space for developing countries through the G20 debt service suspension initiative. According to him, this has helped African governments pay for their Covid responses and provide additional social protection, preventing the worst outcomes. “We must not lose this spirit now and give in to an unfortunate erosion of global solidarity,” he says.
The Covax facility, run by the World Health Organization, was supposed to provide doses to 20% of the African population – from the start and at the same time as the richer countries. “However, almost two months after the first vaccines are given, it is still unclear when African countries will be able to start vaccinating people, although the first doses may begin to reach the continent later this month,” he said.
“What can we do concretely?” he asks. He said the rich world can help developing countries get the same fair prices they have already negotiated for themselves. One pharmaceutical company plans to charge $37 per dose for “small orders”. “Recently, one African country said it was asked to pay more than twice the price the European Union had negotiated for the same product,” he says, adding that in natural disasters, rising prices for essential supplies are illegal. “It should also not be tolerated for vaccines during a pandemic. If the prices are right and Africa is allowed to place orders, many countries on the continent would be willing and able to pay for themselves. But given the current market structure, they will need the active support of more powerful countries to do so,” he said.
The African Union and Afreximbank have established the African Medical Supplies Platform to help countries secure financing by providing up to $2 billion in advance commitment guarantees to manufacturers. The platform negotiated an initial order of 270 million doses, but, he says, it’s still a long way from the 60% coverage Africa needs to achieve some collective immunity, and it’s unclear when these supplies will be available.
Vaccine candidates from China and Russia are also available online and may be an alternative for some developing countries. However, says Kagame, the reality is that most countries will only be able to obtain vaccines approved by the World Health Organization. The WHO should accelerate emergency use approvals for Covid-19 vaccines in line with actions taken by key national regulators in Europe and North America.
“Africa does not expect charity. We have learned from the past. All we are asking for is transparency and fairness in access to vaccines, not ongoing protectionism.” He stressed that ensuring equitable access to vaccines worldwide during a pandemic is not just a moral issue, but an economic imperative to protect the well-being of people around the world. “But when will Africa get the protection it needs? If all lives are equal, why is access to vaccines not equal?” he concluded.
Fighting raged on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 in Khartoum between the paramilitaries threatening to take over the city and the army, which is now calling on all young people in Sudan to enlist under the flag on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Fighting between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and General Mohammed Hamdane Dogolo’s Rapid Support Forces (FSR), known as “Hemedti”, is now concentrated around military bases. Since the beginning of the war on 15 April, the FSR have been present en masse in the residential areas where they had long established their bases. The army, however, tries to play its main asset: the air, which it controls alone, without its infantry succeeding in gaining a foothold in the immense city crossed by two arms of the Nile.
For several days, the FSR have been trying to take the last bases of the army in the capital where millions of people are still hiding – nearly a million and a half have left, fleeing stray bullets and water and electricity cuts in a grueling heat. The FSR took the police headquarters and its huge arsenal in southern Khartoum and harassed the army on bases in central, northern and southern Khartoum on Tuesday, reported residents to AFP. If they take these last bases, they will have taken control of Khartoum, experts say.
The Chairman of the Management Board and the CEO of the Merck Foundation meet with the President of Tanzania to discuss the scaling up of their health programmes to transform the patient care landscape in Tanzania. We have provided 37 one-year and two-year master’s scholarships to Tanzanian doctors in partnership with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, and we will continue to increase the number of physician awards in many underserved and critical medical specialties,” said Senator Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation.
The philanthropic branch of Merck KGaA Germany, highlights its commitment to building health care capacity in Tanzania at its high-level meeting with H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The discussion led by Professor Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of the Board of the Merck BOT Foundation and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation, to discuss the scaling up of Merck Foundation programs to build health care capacity and transform the patient care landscape into more than 36 critical and underserved medical specialties in Tanzania.
The Senator said: It was a pleasure to meet the President of Tanzania. Our vision is to provide quality and equitable health care solutions to underserved and vulnerable populations, leading Africa and the rest of the world to a healthier future. We are committed to transforming the landscape of patient care in Africa through our scholarship programs. To date, more than 1,580 scholarships have been awarded to young doctors in 50 countries in 36 critical and underserved medical specialties.
It was a great honour to meet with H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, to highlight our continued commitment to health and social development in Tanzania. She is a great leader; we African women are truly proud of her great achievements and success. She is a true role model for all of us.”
The Merck Foundation recently hosted the Merck Foundation Alumni Summit in Tanzania to meet their alumni and an awards ceremony to recognize the winners of the Merck Foundation Awards. The Summit was co-chaired by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp and Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of the Merck Foundation. During the Summit, the Merck Foundation also organized the 2nd edition of its Media Training on Health for Tanzanian media representatives in partnership with the Media Council of Tanzania and the Dar es Salaam City Press Club (DCPC). The training was conducted to highlight the important role that the media play in influencing our society to create cultural change in order to solve a wide range of social and health problems such as: breaking the stigma associated with infertility, supporting girls’ education, empowering women, ending child marriage, ending FGM, stopping GBV, raising awareness about diabetes, etc.
In addition, the CEO of the Merck Foundation announced the call for nominations for 8 major awards for media, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, students and potential new talent.
EAST AFRICA
AFRICA ROAD BUILDERS 2022 Babacar Ndiaye Trophy: Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Super Prize Winner
This distinction recognises African personalities involved in the development of transport infrastructure on the continent. On March 31, 2022, the Selection Committee of The Africa Road Builders – Babacar Ndiaye Trophy nominated the President of the United Republic of Tanzania in Abuja, Nigeria. Samia Suluhu Hassan, laureate of the 2022 edition of this award recognizing African personalities committed to the development of transport infrastructure on the continent.
Samia Suluhu Hassan was honoured for her “personal leadership and huge commitments and investments” in expanding Tanzania’s roads and rail transportation network, the selection committee said. She succeeds President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, laureate in 2021.The only woman and current head of state in Africa, Samia Suluhu Hassan came to power in March 2021 after the death of President John Magufuli, of whom she was vice-president.
In making its choice, the Selection Committee cited the US$290 million support of the African Development Bank for the revitalization of road, rail and air transport in Tanzania. It also took into account the $172.2 million contract with China Corporation Limited for the supply of 1,430 modern freight cars to the country for the implementation of the Tanzania Railways Corporation’s ambitious railway program. Finally, the Committee noted the official start of the construction of the historic project of the outer ring road of the city of Dodoma. The project was launched on 11 February by President Samia Hassan in the presence of the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina.
“We extend our warmest congratulations to President Samia Hassan and the people of Tanzania. The award ceremony will take place at the final conference of The Africa Road Builders, which will take place on the margins of the next Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank,” the Selection Committee said.
Sponsored by the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, the Africa Road Builders Babacar Ndiaye Trophy is organized by Acturoutes, an information platform on infrastructure and the road network in Africa and the organization Médias pour les infrastructures et la finance en Afrique (MIFA), a network of African journalists specialized in road infrastructure.
This award was created in honour of Babacar Ndiaye, President of the African Development Bank Group from 1985 to 1995. Professor Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, is the Chairman of the Conference Bureau.
Distributed by APO Group
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