COVAX programme - The African Mirror

Sep

2021

African Union slams vaccine manufacturers

THE African Union has accused manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines of denying African countries a fair chance to buy them and urged manufacturing countries - in particular India - to lift export restrictions on vaccines and their components. "Those manufacturers know very well that they never gave us proper access," Strive Masiyiwa, AU Special Envoy for COVID-19, told a World Health Organization briefing from Geneva. "We could have handled this very differently." Out of 5.7 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines administered around the world so far, only 2% have been in Africa. Masiyiwa stressed that, in aiming to vaccinate 60% of…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Africa not winning against brutal COVID-19 pandemic’

NEWS

MacDONALD DZIRUTWE and OMAR MOHAMMED AFRICA is not winning its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as a third virus wave sweeps the continent and countries struggle to access enough vaccines for their populations, Africa CDC director John Nkengasong has said. The COVAX programme co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) for fair distribution of vaccines is planning a shake-up as it has been shunned by rich countries and failed to meet the needs of the poorest, internal documents seen by Reuters show. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) director Nkengasong said he was more worried about getting…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

EXCLUSIVE- Global vaccine scheme to be shaken up

NEWS

FRANSESCO GUARASCIO SHUNNED by rich countries and failing to meet the needs of the poorest, a programme co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) for fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is planning a shake-up, internal documents seen by Reuters show. The COVAX programme is far short of its target of delivering 2 billion doses by the end of the year, but does expect a big increase in supplies by early 2022, and wants to make sure that those, at least, reach the countries in direst need. COVAX's initial lofty ambitions to act as a clearing house for the world's vaccines,…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

G20 leaders to back COVID-19 vaccine voluntary licensing, no patent waiver

WORLD

FRANCESCO GUARASCIO LEADERS of the world's largest economies will today adopt a declaration recommending voluntary actions to boost COVID-19 vaccine production, snubbing a push from the United States and other nations on patent waivers, the final text shows. Several G20 leaders will speak at the summit, one of this year's major events to coordinate global actions against the pandemic. U.S. President Joe Biden is not listed among the speakers, with Vice President Kamala Harris representing the United States at the meeting, an EU Commission spokesman said. The White House did not immediately comment. The EU executive, which co-hosts the summit…

Mar

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…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria seeks vaccines less dependent on cooling facilities

COVID-19

NIGERIA will seek to procure vaccines that are less dependent on cooling facilities, the head of the country's primary healthcare agency has said, adding that talks were in progress with Russia and India to procure such vaccines. Africa's most populous country, where officials recorded low coronavirus numbers through much of 2020, is in its second wave of infections and has seen cases surge in recent weeks. Nigerian health authorities have said the country is working with the COVAX programme backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that aims to provide vaccines to poorer countries. Faisal Shuaib, who heads the National…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria working procuring vaccines

COVID-19

CHIJIOKE OHUOCHA NIGERIA is working on what type and quantity of COVID-19 vaccines to procure and will make financial provision for them in its 2021 budget, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed has said. Africa's most populous nation has not been as hard-hit by the pandemic as others on the continent, such as South Africa, but it is in the grip of a second wave of infections. Nigerian authorities have previously said the country is working with the COVAX programme backed by the World Health Organization and expects to receive its first doses in January. Ahmed said the finance and health ministries…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

COVAX programme doubles global vaccine supply deals to 2 billion doses

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY and KATE KELLAND THE COVAX alliance which aims to secure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries said on Friday it now had agreements in place for nearly 2 billion doses, roughly doubling its supply, with the first deliveries due in early 2021. The initiative, co-led by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), said it aimed to deliver 1.3 billion doses of approved vaccines next year to 92 eligible low- and middle-income economies. All 190 economies that have signed up to COVAX will "have access to…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving poor countries no COVID shots until 2024

COVID-19

FRANSESCO GUARASCIO THE global scheme to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries faces a "very high" risk of failure, potentially leaving nations home to billions of people with no access to vaccines until as late as 2024, internal documents say. The World Health Organization's COVAX programme is the main global scheme to vaccinate people in poor and middle-income countries around the world against the coronavirus. It aims to deliver at least 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 to cover 20% of the most vulnerable people in 91 poor and middle-income countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin…