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Roselyne Sachiti-Features, Health  and Society Editor

Africa’s main challenge is not the lack of funds or resources, but the inability to harness available resources to provide customised home-grown solutions needed to address the challenges seen across the continent, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, said on Monday.

Speaking at the launch of the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) Independent Task Team on Equitable and Universal Access to Vaccines and Vaccination in Africa, Obasanjo who is also the chairman of the CoDA board of directors, said many African researchers, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers are constantly being drawn out of the continent to serve elsewhere.

“They use their intellect to serve the needs of other continents, and most times without being duly credited or acknowledge for their intellectual investments, while our own health systems are underdeveloped. We need to reverse this trend and begin to take actions to harness our local resources to solve our local problems,” he said.

CoDA is an independent international initiative of the African Union, African Development Bank (AfDB), African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Obasanjo explained that through initiatives like the CoDA task team, Africa will be able to encourage and retain its talents and support them in finding solutions to its age-long healthcare challenges. 

“The initiative we are launching today is one of those initiatives that will help Africa look inwards to identify and channel available resources to areas where they are needed. 

“This initiative has the potential to positively change the vaccine and vaccination landscape across the continent and set precedence for vaccine entrepreneurship in the continent. If we carefully nurture the initiative through to maturity, we would have laid a good foundation for a healthier Africa using, largely, resources from within the continent,” he noted.

Two months ago, Obasanjo revealed, CoDA held a dialogue involving the academics, researchers, scientists, public health experts, youth, civil society, faith leaders, and community leaders to discuss how to increase access to vaccines and vaccination in Africa.

“During that dialogue I had pledged my commitment to ensuring that recommendations from the dialogue are implemented and with speed. I am glad to let you know that today’s launch is in fulfilment of that promise and it marks the beginning of new partnerships and collaborations that will see our continent play a lead role in vaccine development, production and distribution,” he pointed out.

He expressed gratitude to Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital Okada for accepting to host the initiative by providing a centre through which activities will be coordinated with CoDA.

“I salute their courage despite the uncertainty currently surrounding the issue of vaccines globally. I also thank everyone who has been involved in putting ideas to work for the take-off of the initiative,” he added. 

Other experts in the health sector and government representatives at the launch also said the continent would become self-sufficient in vaccine production.

African Union Commission deputy chair, Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa, said strengthening Africa’s health systems requires convergence of the private sector, policy makers and the community, civil society, and healthcare practitioners.

“The private sector initiative being launched today as a partnership between the CoDA, Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital, Pan African Manufacturing Association, and other partners is a wake up call to other private universities and businesses in Africa to contribute to towards strengthening healthcare services across the continent,” she said.

Dr Nsanzabaganwa also urged the sector to strengthen health facilities for business to thrive.

“Strengthening healthcare provision is not just about making donations, it must include addressing the root causes of our healthcare problems, one of which is research and development. I salute the courage of the founders and management of Igbinedion University for accepting the challenge to champion efforts to strengthen vaccine research, development and manufacturing in Africa and call on other private sector players in Africa to join the coalition by making meaningful investments in vaccine research and development on the continent,“ she pointed out.

Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the Launch of CoDA Independent Task Team on the Development of Vaccines and Equitable, Universal Access to Essential Vaccines and Vaccinations in Africa was noble as this would lift Africa to the next level.

However, he noted, there is need to address the challenge of vaccine hesitancy.

“As we push for Covid-19 vaccines for the continent, we must also address the question of hesitancy, even among health workers who I hereby implore to use their positions to advocate for, and promote vaccine uptake, in view of the Covid-19 resurgence in the African region. As we fight the disease, we must translate lessons to policies to save lives and livelihoods,” said Dr Ehanire.

He pointed put that Africa is not yet out of the woods, welcoming the coming together of African countries to push for vaccine availability. 

-Roselyne Sachiti is in Okado, Edo State, Nigeria