African and European leaders push for vaccines for Africa after COVID-19 exposed inequalities
6 months, 3 weeks ago

African and European leaders push for vaccines for Africa after COVID-19 exposed inequalities

LA Times  

European and African leaders gather at the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator conference in Paris on June 20, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron joined several African leaders Thursday to kick off a planned $1-billion project to accelerate the rollout of vaccines in Africa, after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaping inequalities in access to them. Many African leaders and advocacy groups say Africa was unfairly locked out of access to COVID-19 treatment tools, vaccines and testing equipment — that many richer countries bought them up in huge quantities — after the pandemic was declared in 2020. The World Health Organization, advocacy groups, the European Union and others want to help Africa get better prepared for the next pandemic, which many health experts say is inevitable. Officials say the project will explore issues such as technology transfer — which has been resisted by some Western countries with powerful pharmaceutical companies — as well as the possible creation of a African medicines agency and tackling regulatory hurdles faced in Africa’s patchwork of legal systems.

Europe Africa Pandemic Vaccines Covid African European Macron Vaccine Exposed Inequalities  macron  africa  vaccines  manufacturing  exposed  inequalities  vaccine  european  african  say  project  countries  pandemic  push  covid19  leaders

History of this topic

Macron and African leaders push for vaccines for Africa after COVID-19 exposed inequalities
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Macron and African leaders push for vaccines for Africa after COVID-19 exposed inequalities

Associated Press  

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron joined several African leaders on Thursday to kick off a planned $1 billion project to accelerate the rollout of vaccines in Africa, after the coronavirus pandemic exposed gaping inequalities in access to them. Many African leaders and advocacy groups say Africa was unfairly locked out of access to COVID-19 treatment tools, vaccines and testing …

France's Macron, African leaders push for vaccines for Africa after COVID-19 exposed inequalities
6 months, 3 weeks ago

France's Macron, African leaders push for vaccines for Africa after COVID-19 exposed inequalities

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy French President Emmanuel Macron is …

World leaders launch programme to boost vaccine production in Africa
6 months, 3 weeks ago

World leaders launch programme to boost vaccine production in Africa

Al Jazeera  

Initiative announced in Paris will incentivise and offset start-up costs for vaccine manufacturing in the continent. French President Emmanuel Macron has joined several African leaders to kick off a planned $1.1bn project to accelerate vaccine production in Africa, after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequalities in access to inoculation. African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomed the initiative, saying that …

EU countries destroyed €4 billion worth of Covid-19 vaccines, reveals research
1 year ago

EU countries destroyed €4 billion worth of Covid-19 vaccines, reveals research

Firstpost  

Governments, including the EU’s second-most populous country France, have been reluctant to reveal the scale of the waste, but it is certain that most EU nations have resorted to wasting doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, once a much sought after commodity Nearly 215 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines purchased by EU countries at the height of the pandemic have since …

As COVID-19 becomes routine, Africa readies for next crisis
2 years, 1 month ago

As COVID-19 becomes routine, Africa readies for next crisis

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Building on the experience of …

As COVID-19 becomes routine, Africa readies for next crisis
2 years, 1 month ago

As COVID-19 becomes routine, Africa readies for next crisis

Associated Press  

ABUJA, Nigeria — Building on the experience of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, African countries are strengthening health systems to prepare for the next health crisis, the World Health Organization’s Africa director said Thursday. At the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, some of the 54 countries in the continent of 1.3 billion people lacked the facilities or trained health …

COVID vaccination rates have dropped 50% in Africa, WHO says
2 years, 2 months ago

COVID vaccination rates have dropped 50% in Africa, WHO says

LA Times  

The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses given in Africa has dropped by more than 50% over the last three months, the World Health Organization said Thursday, even though less than a quarter of all Africans have been vaccinated. Despite increased availability of vaccines on the continent, Africa still lags far behind the global average, with only 24% of the population …

COVID pandemic created immunisation gaps in Africa
2 years, 3 months ago

COVID pandemic created immunisation gaps in Africa

The Hindu  

The COVID pandemic exposed the fault lines in health systems and national routine immunisation programmes around the world. What we do know so far is that the pandemic has resulted in substantial disruptions to national routine immunisation programmes. The pandemic widened immunisation gaps On the continent the pandemic has substantially disrupted national routine immunisation programmes. Charting a way forward The …

In race for monkeypox vaccines, experts see repeat of COVID-19
2 years, 5 months ago

In race for monkeypox vaccines, experts see repeat of COVID-19

The Hindu  

Moves by rich countries to buy large quantities of monkeypox vaccine, while declining to share doses with Africa, could leave millions of people unprotected against a more dangerous version of the disease and risk continued spillovers of the virus into humans, public health officials are warning. Yet while monkeypox is much harder to spread than COVID-19, experts warn that if …

Biden marks COVID ‘tragic milestone’ in US at global summit
2 years, 7 months ago

Biden marks COVID ‘tragic milestone’ in US at global summit

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders at a COVID-19 summit Thursday to reenergize a lagging international commitment to attacking the virus as he led the U.S. in marking the “tragic milestone” of 1 million deaths in America. He spoke solemnly of the once-unthinkable U.S. toll: “1 million empty chairs around the family dinner table.” The coronavirus has …

Africa's COVID vaccine production line in jeopardy
2 years, 7 months ago

Africa's COVID vaccine production line in jeopardy

The Hindu  

Trisha shakes her head when asked if she's vaccinated. 'A massive setback for Africa's plans' In the absence of orders or commitments, Aspen is considering the repurposing of two COVID-19 production lines for the manufacture of other products. "The continent would lose its only existing COVID vaccine manufacturing capacity," Nicolaou says. Africa's major public health body, the Africa Centers for …

Biden urges global COVID fight, US nears 1 million deaths
2 years, 7 months ago

Biden urges global COVID fight, US nears 1 million deaths

Al Jazeera  

World leaders held a summit to discuss efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future health threats. United States President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders to commit to a renewed international effort to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, as he marked the approaching “tragic milestone” of one million deaths from the virus in the US. “Today, we mark …

UN official urges acceleration in coronavirus vaccinations
2 years, 8 months ago

UN official urges acceleration in coronavirus vaccinations

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. official spearheading global vaccination efforts against the coronavirus said Monday the number of countries where 10% or less of the population has been vaccinated dropped from 34 to 18 since January and called for accelerated progress to end the pandemic. Assistant Secretary-General Ted Chaiban told the U.N. Security Council that with over 6 million lives …

Time of Pandemics
2 years, 9 months ago

Time of Pandemics

Al Jazeera  

Antibodies, vaccine trials and the social factors determining health – what can we learn from the HIV experiences in the global south, in this time of COVID-19? This exploration, by South African filmmaker Rehad Desai, unpicks connections between the two pandemic experiences, from a global south perspective. This HIV vaccine research, and its extensive clinical trial infrastructure in South Africa, …

UK pledges £160m to help accelerate vaccine development
2 years, 10 months ago

UK pledges £160m to help accelerate vaccine development

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: …

EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit
2 years, 10 months ago

EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — European Union leaders on Thursday lauded the bloc’s vaccine cooperation with Africa in the fight against the coronavirus, but there was no sign they would move toward a temporary lifting of intellectual property rights protection for COVID-19 shots. “It is about the capacity of Africa to produce their own vaccines, to develop mRNA manufacturing capacity across Africa,” von …

Germany’s BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa
2 years, 10 months ago

Germany’s BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa

Al Jazeera  

The first turnkey facility will be shipped to either Senegal or Rwanda in the second half of this year, BioNTech said. German vaccine maker BioNTech, which developed the first widely approved shot against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, unveiled plans Wednesday to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent. “And we have, …

Africa transitioning out of pandemic phase of COVID: WHO
2 years, 11 months ago

Africa transitioning out of pandemic phase of COVID: WHO

Al Jazeera  

The head of WHO Africa says the continent is transitioning to a phase of managing the virus in the long term. “Against the odds, including huge inequities in access to vaccinations, we’ve weathered the COVID-19 storm with resilience and determination.” Moeti’s optimism contrasts sharply with the warnings from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has said repeatedly the pandemic is …

Africa CDC director urges youths to boost COVID vaccinations
2 years, 11 months ago

Africa CDC director urges youths to boost COVID vaccinations

Associated Press  

ABUJA, Nigeria — Africa’s top health official is launching a campaign to enlist young people to encourage vaccinations, as just 11.3% of the continent’s 1.3 billion people are vaccinated against COVID-19. Youths will be encouraged “to play an active role” in ramping up inoculations across the continent where the vaccination rate is far below other regions in the world, Africa …

Africa CDC: Continent on course to vaccinate 70% this year
2 years, 11 months ago

Africa CDC: Continent on course to vaccinate 70% this year

Associated Press  

JOHANNESBURG — The African continent is on course to reach its target of vaccinating at least 70% of its population against COVID-19 by the end of 2022, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters on Thursday. The continental public health agency said it has been encouraged by a surge in vaccinations in countries like …

It is time for Africa to focus on getting vaccines in arms
2 years, 11 months ago

It is time for Africa to focus on getting vaccines in arms

Al Jazeera  

Rates of vaccination against COVID-19 are still disappointingly low in Africa, with just around 8 percent of the continent’s population fully vaccinated against the disease. Indeed, high-income countries have been hoarding vaccines, most recently for third “booster” doses, leaving low-income countries, including many in Africa, unable to access enough doses even for their most vulnerable populations and frontline health workers. …

Poorer nations reject over 100 million Covid shots as many close to expiry
2 years, 11 months ago

Poorer nations reject over 100 million Covid shots as many close to expiry

India Today  

Poorer nations last month rejected more than 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the global programme COVAX, mainly due to their rapid expiry date, a UNICEF official said on Thursday. UNICEF's data on supplies and use of delivered vaccines show that 681 million shipped doses are currently stored in about 90 poorer nations, according to CARE, a charity, …

Macron defends his rude remarks about France’s unvaccinated
3 years ago

Macron defends his rude remarks about France’s unvaccinated

Associated Press  

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday defended his rude remarks about the country’s minority of vaccine refusers, saying he cannot accept them infringing on others’ freedom. The 44-year-old outspoken president, who is expected to seek re-election later this year, made headlines earlier this week by using the word “emmerder” — rooted in the French word for “crap” and …

France hits staggering new case record, Europe’s highest
3 years ago

France hits staggering new case record, Europe’s highest

Associated Press  

PARIS — France announced a staggering 332,252 daily virus cases Wednesday, smashing a string of recent records, as hospitals prepared drastic measures to brace for patient surges and the government strained to avoid a new lockdown. With Europe’s highest-ever single-day confirmed infection count, France is facing an omicron-driven surge that is dominating the race for April’s presidential election and increasingly …

Too many COVID-19 vaccine doses are being wasted
3 years ago

Too many COVID-19 vaccine doses are being wasted

Al Jazeera  

Since the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was detected, the stark global inequities that have characterised this pandemic have once again come to the forefront. Almost one year after vaccine rollout began, donations of COVID-19 vaccine doses by wealthy countries that no longer need them are getting ramped up. Malawi and South Sudan have also had to destroy expired COVID-19 vaccine …

WHO: Africa might miss 70% vaccination goal until late 2024
3 years ago

WHO: Africa might miss 70% vaccination goal until late 2024

Associated Press  

NAIROBI, Kenya — The African continent might not reach the target of vaccinating 70% of its 1.3 billion population against COVID-19 until the second half of 2024, a target many of the world’s richer countries have already met, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Health officials in South Africa, which first announced the variant, say early data indicate it causes …

Africa CDC: Nations might turn to COVID-19 vaccine mandates
3 years, 1 month ago

Africa CDC: Nations might turn to COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Associated Press  

NAIROBI, Kenya — African governments might have to resort to COVID-19 vaccine mandates if their citizens don’t hurry to get the increasingly available doses, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. The warning by John Nkengasong to reporters that governments “will not have a choice” came as the flow of doses to Africa’s 54 …

South African Regulator Approves Pfizer Booster Vaccine After Surge In Covid Cases
3 years, 1 month ago

South African Regulator Approves Pfizer Booster Vaccine After Surge In Covid Cases

News 18  

South Africa has approved the use of Pfizer’s coronavirus booster vaccine for people aged over 18 years, amid mounting concern following a record of almost 20,000 infections overnight, largely ascribed to the new and highly-mutating Omicron variant. The South African Health Products Authority on Wednesday approved the use of Pfizer’s Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine after BioNTech and Pfizer announced that two …

WHO warns against rich nations hoarding jabs to fight Omicron
3 years, 1 month ago

WHO warns against rich nations hoarding jabs to fight Omicron

Al Jazeera  

Key problem for international dose-sharing programme is wealthy countries donating COVID-19 vaccines with short shelf life, WHO says. The World Health Organization official has warned that wealthy countries may start hoarding COVID-19 vaccines again, threatening global supplies as they seek to shore up stocks to fight the new Omicron variant of coronavirus. The comments on Thursday by the agency’s vaccine …

Omicron: Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the pandemic
3 years, 1 month ago

Omicron: Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the pandemic

Al Jazeera  

The United Kingdom and wealthy European nations are in a panic. For more than a year, the UK and European Union have blocked a proposal from South Africa and India to suspend intellectual property on COVID -19 technologies including vaccines. But South Africa’s lingering apartheid-era health system, enduring levels of poverty, and year-long inability to obtain decent amounts of vaccines …

France steps up virus booster campaign as infections rise
3 years, 2 months ago

France steps up virus booster campaign as infections rise

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy French President Emmanuel Macron issued …

Syringe shortfall threatens Africa’s COVID vaccine drive
3 years, 2 months ago

Syringe shortfall threatens Africa’s COVID vaccine drive

Al Jazeera  

UNICEF is predicting an ‘imminent shortfall’ of up to 2.2 billion of the single-use syringes used to give jabs. Africa’s struggle to inoculate people against COVID-19 risks being hobbled by a shortage of syringes just as supplies of vaccines flood into the continent, the World Health Organization said. UNICEF, the United Nation’s fund for children, is predicting an “imminent shortfall” …

African Union to buy up to 110 million Moderna COVID vaccines
3 years, 2 months ago

African Union to buy up to 110 million Moderna COVID vaccines

Al Jazeera  

Arrangement brokered in part by the White House which will defer delivery of some doses intended for US to facilitate the deal. The African Union intends to buy up to 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc in an arrangement brokered in part by the White House which will defer delivery of some doses intended for the United …

Africa tries to end vaccine inequity by replicating its own
3 years, 2 months ago

Africa tries to end vaccine inequity by replicating its own

Associated Press  

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — In a pair of Cape Town warehouses converted into a maze of airlocked sterile rooms, young scientists are assembling and calibrating the equipment needed to reverse engineer a coronavirus vaccine that has yet to reach South Africa and most of the world’s poorest people. “The United States government has played a very substantial role in …

EU says exports of COVID-19 vaccines now top 1 billion mark
3 years, 2 months ago

EU says exports of COVID-19 vaccines now top 1 billion mark

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top official said Monday that the bloc has now exported over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the rest of the world. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the vaccines have been sent to over 150 nations, making the 27-member bloc the largest exporter of the vaccines in the world, to nations …

South Africa launches drive to vaccinate 500,000 in 2 days
3 years, 3 months ago

South Africa launches drive to vaccinate 500,000 in 2 days

Associated Press  

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa launched a new COVID-19 vaccination drive Friday and will try to give doses to 500,000 people in two days to reinvigorate a flagging campaign that’s coming up against hesitancy and complacency in the continent’s worst-affected country. Ramaphosa is attempting to entice people to get shots by tying vaccination rates to a return to …

Zimbabwe’s vaccine mandates squeeze some of world’s poorest
3 years, 3 months ago

Zimbabwe’s vaccine mandates squeeze some of world’s poorest

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The Zimbabwe government should first focus on making sure …

''Vaccine apartheid'': Africans tell UN they need vaccines
3 years, 3 months ago

''Vaccine apartheid'': Africans tell UN they need vaccines

The Hindu  

As wealthy countries begin to consider whether to offer their populations a third COVID-19 shot, African nations still waiting for their first have given this as a stark reminder to world leaders at the UN General Assembly: “No one is safe unless we are all safe.” That message was repeated throughout the day as the inequity of vaccine distribution came …

‘Vaccine apartheid': Africans tell UN they need vaccines
3 years, 3 months ago

‘Vaccine apartheid': Africans tell UN they need vaccines

Associated Press  

As wealthy countries begin to consider whether to offer their populations a third COVID-19 shot, African nations still waiting for their first gave this stark reminder to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday: “No one is safe unless we are all safe.” That message was repeated throughout the day as the inequity of vaccine distribution came into …

African leaders highlight vaccine inequity in UNGA speeches
3 years, 3 months ago

African leaders highlight vaccine inequity in UNGA speeches

Al Jazeera  

The inequity of COVID-19 vaccine distribution came into sharper focus on Thursday as many leaders of African countries, whose populations have little to no access to the life-saving shots, stepped to the podium to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. “It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82 percent of the world’s vaccine doses have been acquired …

Quad partnership on track to produce at least a billion vaccine doses in India by 2022: Joe Biden
3 years, 3 months ago

Quad partnership on track to produce at least a billion vaccine doses in India by 2022: Joe Biden

India TV News  

The Quad partnership is on track to produce at least a billion vaccine doses in India by 2022, US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday, asserting that nothing is more urgent than working together to defeat COVID-19 so the world is much better prepared for future pandemics. The United States and its international partners are working quickly to scale up …

Op-Ed: Biden’s vaccine summit is a chance to commit doses where they’re needed most
3 years, 3 months ago

Op-Ed: Biden’s vaccine summit is a chance to commit doses where they’re needed most

LA Times  

The world stands at a critical juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries that lack the first round of vaccine coverage are extraordinarily vulnerable to the highly infectious Delta variant and are Governments of countries where vaccines are being produced — the United States, European Union members, the United Kingdom, India, Russia and China — need to cooperate under United Nations …

Biden Will Try To Rally The World To Boost COVID-19 Vaccinations As The U.N. Meets
3 years, 3 months ago

Biden Will Try To Rally The World To Boost COVID-19 Vaccinations As The U.N. Meets

NPR  

Biden Will Try To Rally The World To Boost COVID-19 Vaccinations As The U.N. Meets Enlarge this image toggle caption Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP via Getty Images Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP via Getty Images Facing criticism for its plan to give Americans third doses of COVID-19 vaccines while millions in the world's poorest countries are still waiting for a first shot, the White House …

Top European Union official calls for more COVID vaccination efforts
3 years, 3 months ago

Top European Union official calls for more COVID vaccination efforts

India TV News  

Vaccination efforts in the European Union and outside should continue so that "this does not turn into a pandemic of the unvaccinated", said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen made the remarks on Wednesday during her second State of the Union speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, reports Xinhua news agency. "We see worrisome …

Will Biden’s mandates work? Macron’s vaccine pass gamble may hold some clues
3 years, 3 months ago

Will Biden’s mandates work? Macron’s vaccine pass gamble may hold some clues

CNN  

Paris CNN — After US President Joe Biden laid out a plan to tackle the worsening pandemic in America with a raft of new vaccination rules last week, the big question on the minds of many is: Will mandating vaccines work? In July, with France’s vaccination rate stagnating and coronavirus cases surging, French President Emmanuel Macron imposed sweeping vaccination requirements …

WHO, partners aim to get Africa 30% of needed doses by Feb
3 years, 3 months ago

WHO, partners aim to get Africa 30% of needed doses by Feb

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The World Health Organization and its partners said they hope to provide Africa with about 30% of the COVID-19 vaccines the continent needs by February, badly missing the 60% vaccination coverage goal that African leaders had once hoped for this year. At a press briefing Tuesday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the massive disparity in vaccination rates …

WHO aims for 30 percent of needed Africa COVID jabs by February
3 years, 3 months ago

WHO aims for 30 percent of needed Africa COVID jabs by February

Al Jazeera  

The WHO and its partners hope to provide Africa with about 30 percent of vaccines by February. The World Health Organization and its partners have said they hope to provide Africa with about 30 percent of the COVID-19 vaccines the continent needs by February, badly missing the 60 percent vaccination coverage goal that African leaders had once hoped for this …

EU to return millions of doses of J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine imported from Africa
3 years, 4 months ago

EU to return millions of doses of J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine imported from Africa

Live Mint  

The European Union will return to Africa millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine that it received from a plant in South Africa, following criticism by health activists that the bloc was taking away shots from a continent that has the lowest immunization rate in the world. Strive Masiyiwa, who heads the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, …

South Africa will no longer send J&J vaccines to Europe, AU envoy says
3 years, 4 months ago

South Africa will no longer send J&J vaccines to Europe, AU envoy says

CNN  

CNN — An arrangement in which Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines were being shipped from South Africa to Europe has been suspended, African Union Special Envoy for Covid-19 response, Strive Masiyiwa, has said. The arrangement was reversed in part due to interventions from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron, …

Discover Related