Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has reported that Africa needs to build a “roadmap” for increasing the continent’s capacity to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines in the future. The WTO Director-General stated that it has become an emergency because Africa is falling behind in its attempts to vaccinate 60% of its 1.3 billion citizens.
Okonjo-Iweala expressed her concern in Abuja during a meeting with the country’s business leaders, which included Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The WTO DG, who noted that African countries are becoming vaccines as a result of the international COVAX initiative and donors such as India, China, and Russia, who are manufacturing vaccines, argued that the continent’s dependence on imported vaccines may be a hindrance to the inoculation campaign, as richer countries stockpile vaccines and prioritize their own populations – despite a rise in cases and a neoplasia outbreak.
Access to low-quality vaccines, according to the WTO DG, is worse than getting none at all. The aim of local manufacturing, according to her, should be to ensure quality, protect patients, and promote vaccine safety trust.
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Data source: Leadership