Leaders across Africa have been tasked with providing COVID-19 vaccines in their regions amidst supply shortages.
Vaccine supplies are low in many African countries with less than 1% of the continent fully vaccinated.
The president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, is further urging leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to go into COVID-19 vaccine production.
During a special summit on Saturday Adesina said that “Africa should not be begging for vaccines. Africa should be producing vaccines.”
More so, the continent needs solutions for navigating extremely challenging times brought upon it by the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to COVID-19 vaccines is key to recovery in Africa, he noted.
The AfDB will provide support to the continent to advance on its vaccines plan of the African Union, Adesina added.
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Most recent public remarks by the AfDB include emphases on the need for a health care support system for tackling COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Furthermore, the bank plans to provide US$3 billion for the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Africa.
The World Health Organisation is a beneficiary of the AfDB’s funding plans with US$2 million routed in crisis assistance. This was to uplift the WHO’s capacity for infection prevention, testing, and case management.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also received US$28 million in funding from the AfDB for a COVID-19 response scheme.
The AfDB Group’s 2021 Annual meetings with the theme “Building Resilient Economies in Post Covid-19 Africa” is scheduled for 23-25 June.
Governors will get a chance to recount their countries’ pandemic journey and management as well as economy rebuilding policies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday had said that it is planning a technology transfer hub for producing mRNA coronavirus vaccines in South Africa.
This will help increase access to coronavirus vaccines in Africa.