Managing to administer a significant number of doses of anti-Covid vaccine to African populations: this is the joint challenge of WHO and Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance), the two organizations responsible for managing the Covax program. A subject they discussed at their summit which they organized on February 23, in Abuja, Nigeria.
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Covid-19: why four out of ten Africans think they are guinea pigs, by François Soudan
The scale of the task is immense. According to an official document published in mid-February 2022, the Covax program indeed had, at the end of January, of 436 million doses to be allocated to low-income countries. However, the latter only asked for 100 million to be distributed before the end of May, reports the agency. Archyde.com. “This is the first time in 14 allocation cycles that supply has exceeded demand,” adds the same source.
A critical assessment
According to the WHO, only 14% of eligible individuals have a complete vaccination schedule against Covid-19 in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin and Guinea, 6% in Senegal, 4% in Niger and Burkina. Faso, 3% in Madagascar and Cameroon. An extremely low rate compared to the world average of more than 55%. Less than a third of the inhabitants of low-income countries have been vaccinated, compared to more than 70% in rich countries.
According to Unicef, Burundi and Guinea have shortcomings at all levels of the cold chain
The meager demand noted is partly explained by the lack of resources available to manage stocks and inoculate doses. A situation which is due, in particular, to various weaknesses in maintaining the cold chain, but also to the lack of resources to support the distribution networks.
According to Unicef, 44 of the member states of the African Union suffer from “critical shortcomings” at this level. 24 countries have declared the need for refrigerators, 18 for freezers, 22 for cold rooms and 16 for corridor refrigerators. According to the UN institution, Burundi and Guinea have shortcomings at all levels of the cold chain.
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Covid-19 has changed people’s attitudes towards vaccines
Although 800 special freezers and 52,000 refrigerators have already been delivered to nearly 70 countries, several experts believe that the Covax program has not invested in infrastructure and equipment quickly enough. Those responsible for distributing vaccines in Africa, however, believe that the real scourge affecting the continent remains elsewhere. Her name : the disinformation.