HEALTH - The African Mirror

Mar

12

2021

EXPLAINER-Activists, drug groups split over suspending COVID-19 shot patents

COVID-19

JOHN MILLER A World Trade Organization (WTO) council is meeting this week to discuss a proposal by India and South Africa that COVID-19 vaccine patents be suspended to speed up technology transfers to manufacturers with spare production capacity. The idea seems simple, but some experts say it's not so clear cut. Below we lay out the reasons. WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED? In October, India and South Africa proposed suspending provisions of the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (IP) Rights, or TRIPS, contending they hinder the COVID-19 fight and curb access to drugs. Some 100 nations have expressed support,…

Mar

12

2021

By The African Mirror

Africans slam rich nations

COVID-19

NITA BHALLA CHARITIES in Africa have slammed rich nations for blocking efforts to waive patents for COVID-19 vaccines, saying this would prolong the pandemic for years in poorer nations and push millions across the continent deeper into poverty. More than 40 charities, including Amnesty International and Christian Aid, said Wednesday's move by Western nations to prevent generic or other manufacturers making more vaccines in poorer nations was "an affront on people's right to healthcare." Peter Kamalingin, Oxfam International's Africa director, said sub-Saharan Africa - 14% of the global population - had received only 0.2% of 300 million vaccine doses administered…

Mar

12

2021

By The African Mirror

COVID-19: Latest on worldwide spread

COVID-19

THE European Union's drugs regulator approved Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine, and the European Commission extended its scheme requiring authorisation for vaccine exports until the end of June due to continued concerns about supplies within the bloc. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news. EUROPE * Health authorities in Denmark and Norway said they had temporarily suspended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine shots after reports of the formation of blood clots in some who have been vaccinated. * Italy's decision to ban a batch of AstraZeneca vaccine was taken following…

Mar

12

2021

By The African Mirror

Mozambique to receive extra 1.7 million vaccines

COVID-19

MOZAMBIQUE expects to receive 1.7 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines by May from various bilateral sources, its prime minister announced yesterday. Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, Prime Minister of Mozambique having a portrait during Africa Investment Forum 2019 - National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH) Mozambique Signing on November 13, 2019, at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. Mozambique kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination program on Monday after receiving a donation of 200,000 doses from the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) last month. The government aims to inoculate around 60,000 health workers in the country of about 30 million, nearly half of…

Mar

12

2021

By The African Mirror

Battling misinformation wars in Africa: applying lessons from GMOs to COVID-19

HEALTH

AS the second wave of COVID-19 sweeps across Africa, bringing steep increases in infections and deaths, the battle between facts and conspiracies – especially around the safety of COVID vaccines – has also intensified. EDWARD MABAYA, Research professor, Cornell University IFEANYI M NSOFOR, Senior Atlantic Fellow in Health Equity, George Washington University SARAH EVANEGA, Research Professor, Department of Global Development, Cornell University For anyone who has worked on crop improvement in Africa over the last three decades, the flood of misinformation around vaccines evokes an eerie sense of déjà vu. It is reminiscent of the aggressively anti Genetically Modified Organism…

Mar

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Rich, poor nations lock horns over bid to waive COVID vaccine patents

COVID-19

SOUTH Africa and India planned to renew their bid at a two-day meeting to waive rules of the WTO's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement, a move that would allow generic or other manufacturers to make more vaccines. Their proposal is backed by dozens of largely developing countries at the WTO, but opposed by Western countries including Britain, Switzerland, EU nations and the United States, which have large domestic pharmaceutical industries. Proposals need backing by a consensus of the WTO's 164 members to pass. The issue was set to come up at the WTO's TRIPS Council on Wednesday afternoon.…

Mar

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Mauritius shuts down after more COVID-19 cases

COVID-19

MAURITIUS has gone into lockdown and suspended flights in and out of the island for two weeks following the discovery of 15 more cases of COVID-19, the Mauritius state tourism agency has announced. The Indian Ocean island of 1.4 million people has had 641 confirmed coronavirus cases with 10 deaths, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data. All residents and visitors have been asked to stay at home or in their hotels until March 25, the agency said in a statement. "We have decided to implement the nationwide lockdown to make sure that there is no risk of…

Mar

11

2021

By The African Mirror

‘$1 bln more needed for vaccine rollout’

COVID-19

THE United Nations' children's fund yesterday urged countries to contribute more money to help poor countries access coronavirus vaccines, saying around $1 billion was needed. UNICEF, the world's single largest vaccine buyer, is part of the World Health Organization-backed COVAX programme to supply COVID-19 shots to emerging economies. "We have been asking the world for more funding ... for UNICEF and our distribution to countries we still need about $1 billion," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said at Dubai's World Government Summit, held virtually this year. That funding could be used strengthen health systems in poorer nations and support the…

Mar

11

2021

By The African Mirror

Kenya approves Russian vaccine for use

COVID-19

KENYA has approved Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for use against the new coronavirus, Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday. The fund, which is promoting the vaccine globally, said that 47 countries had now approved Sputnik V for use.

Mar

10

2021

By The African Mirror

Sudan launches vaccination roll-out for medical workers

COVID-19

SUDAN yesterday launched a coronavirus vaccination roll-out, giving priority to medical workers, state news agency SUNA said. Health care workers at Jabra isolation hospital in the capital Khartoum started to get their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the agency said, adding that the first phase of the roll-out will be expanded from March 15 to May 15 to include people aged 45 or older with chronic conditions. The first phase will cover 3.5% of the country's population. Sudan became the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to benefit from COVAX facility vaccines when it received 828,000…