Speaking in an interview with FNA, Henia said, “Britain, Canada, Australia and the United States, are engaged in vaccine apartheid… Africans were involved in the early clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccines and are now being denied access to the same vaccines… The glaring disparities in the Covid-19 distribution which has seen poor countries being left behind has exposed the extent of moral bankruptcy of Western countries.”
Mubarak Henia is a Kenyan journalist and public relations practitioner with over two decades of experience in news and analysis.
Below is the full text of the interview.
Q: A substantial portion of the Covid-19 vaccines has gone to the rich countries, and the low-income countries have received just a small portion. How do you view that?
A: This is a deadly form of apartheid that is leading to hundreds of deaths on a daily basis while thousands more are hospitalized. The Covid-19 has brought to the fore the hypocrisy of rich Western countries which have claimed to champion for human rights. These countries, such as Britain, Canada, Australia and the United States, are engaged in vaccine apartheid and also vaccine nationalism by keeping the Covid-19 vaccine to themselves when poorer nations need them.
What really pains me is that Africans were involved in the early clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccines and are now being denied access to the same vaccines. This is quite immoral on the part of major Western pharmaceuticals companies. BioNTech and Pfizer, Astra Zeneca and Oxford University, and Moderna care more about profits than human lives. This is pure greed of unprecedented proportions. Therefore, apart from vaccine apartheid and nationalism we are also witness to vaccine capitalism
Q: With the slow pace of vaccine distribution in Africa, is there a possibility that health systems in Africa will be overrun by coronavirus?
A: There are disturbing reports of the current wave of Covid-19 pandemic overwhelming several African countries. Over the years, most African countries did not prioritize health systems while the elites in the continent sought treatment abroad. This lack of investment in the health sector is now being felt during the current Covid-19 pandemic. According to preliminary data obtained from 43 African countries, which reported to the World Health Organization on the total number of beds in intensive care units (ICUs) in public health facilities, it is estimated that there are about five ICU beds per one million people in the reporting countries. There is also dire need of oxygen in many African countries. Many Covid-19 deaths also go unreported in Africa so we might not be having real figures of the casualties. In African countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia overwhelmed health workers have gone on strike demanding better pay and proper PPE. If there is an upsurge in infections, the health systems will not only be overwhelmed but they might also face imminent collapse.
Q: With the Western countries stockpiling vaccines, and inadequate distribution of vaccines, do you believe the pandemic can be brought under control?
A: The glaring disparities in the Covid-19 distribution which has seen poor countries being left behind has exposed the extent of moral bankruptcy of Western countries. But these countries will not be safe from the virus because, by its nature, the Covid-19 virus and its various variants will continue to circulate around the world for much longer if we all countries are not equally treated in combating it. Therefore, vaccine apartheid and nationalism are misplaced and will be counterproductive. We live in a global village and experience has shown that even with border restrictions the coronavirus can still penetrate and wreak havoc in any country. Only combined measures can ensure a world free of this deadly virus. It is quite shocking that wealthy countries have received the vast majority of the world’s supply of Covid-19 vaccine doses, while poor countries remain in dire need. Under such circumstances there will be no end in sight for this pandemic and we shall all suffer the consequences. Without a robust vaccination program, the future looks grim for the whole world.
Q. Why are African countries not producing their own vaccines instead of relying on imports?
A: One of the challenges we are facing in Africa is that even in countries where few vaccines are available, many Africans remain skeptical of these vaccines especially those produced in Western countries. I think they are justified because some of these pharmaceutical companies have a history of engaging in illegal and criminal activities in Africa. For instance, Pfizer carried out illegal trials of an anti-meningitis drug that killed or disabled children in northern Nigeria. Governments are having a hard time convincing masses that the vaccines are not meant to harm Africans. Russian and Chinese vaccines have received relatively better reception among Africans. One of the solutions to this problem is local manufacture of vaccines. Therefore, Africa needs to boost skills and capacity to manufacture its own vaccines. The continent imports almost 80 percent of its pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. The only option for Africa is to manufacture its own vaccines in future and stop relying on the goodwill of others. The continent has to wean away from the dependency syndrome and this requires political resolve. The Covid-19 pandemic might just be the trigger to self-sufficiency in production of pharmaceutical products, not just in Africa but in other developing countries.
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