US, UK stifle access to Covid-19 vaccines Mr Masiyiwa

Victor Maphosa and Fungi Kwaramba-Herald Reporters

WESTERN countries’ dictatorship and deceit has been exposed in the current roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines for hoarding the critical antidotes while most of the world including Africa is being battered by a third wave.

This is despite the West’s initial pledge to provide vaccines to African countries to help curb the spread of the pandemic.

In a clear show of discrimination and cold-bloodedness, the United States has maintained restrictions on the exports of chemicals necessary for the making of vaccines.

At the just ended SADC Heads of State and Government Summit, the region noted with concern the nationalisation of Covid-19 vaccines saying: “Summit commended HE President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, for championing the proposal to waive certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), to enable more countries to produce COVID-19 vaccine and facilitate access to all.”

Zimbabwean telecoms tycoon Mr Strive Masiyiwa, who is part of the African Union team that was entrusted with seeking vaccines for the continent recently accused the West of deliberately holding on to the vaccines while Africans are dying.

“They told us that they created this thing called Covax. I met with them with my colleagues, African leadership in January and we said to them what can you do for us. They said we can deliver up to 20 percent. We said but 20 percent cannot deal with our problem; you have said that the Europeans and Americans have set a target of 70 percent for their population. Why should Africa have to deal with this permanently? They said, well we can only do 20 percent, you have to go to the donors.

“We said okay, meet us halfway, you do 30 percent and we do 30 percent and set a target of 60 percent and they said OK. We said can you give us a schedule of what you can deliver. They said 700 million doses. (I have it in writing). We met in January and they said by February you will start to receive vaccines to 27 percent of your population by December, (I have it in writing),” said Mr Masiyiwa. Instead of providing the 700 million doses, they only availed less than 30 million of that projected target.

“Meanwhile, we could not buy any, so how can I say science has been a miracle to my people who are dying, we are going through a third wave, our people are dying, we have grandmothers who are dying. 

“You can watch the Euro finals without a mask on, it is happening now but we can’t and I cannot be here and not telling you I am not disappointed. So it’s not a question of moral failure, it was deliberate,” said Mr Masiyiwa.

Although Zimbabwe has not been lining the queue to get handouts from the COVAX facility as it has gone it alone procuring the vaccines for its population from countries such as China, Russia, and India, experts say the conduct of the West leaves so much to be desired.

Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), executive director Mr Itai Rusike rapped the West for hoarding excess vaccines when the world is in dire need of them. 

“The spread of Covid-19 reminds us that nobody is safe until everyone is safe.  Despite the reality that viral infection has no borders, many countries all over the world are addressing the pandemic on a narrow, nationalist basis instead of ensuring international cooperation and solidarity that will ensure affordable and urgent access to vaccines for everyone in need. In particular, European countries, Canada, and the USA have pre-ordered large numbers of vaccine doses which exceed the need of their populations. While countries in Europe, Canada, and the United States of America are vaccinating millions of their population, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to enough doses of the Covid-19 vaccines. This is a gross injustice and will only prolong the pandemic.  All countries irrespective of wealth must have unhindered, timely access to quality, safe, efficacious, and affordable vaccines. 

“We support measures that seek to ensure that the World Trade Organisation, rich countries, and the pharmaceutical industry do not in this pandemic continue to enforce structural Intellectual Property, patent and pricing barriers that undermine universal access to vaccines, and thereby also limit mass immunisation and in turn herd immunity. Otherwise, they must account for all needles and preventable deaths in this pandemic.  Vaccines must be declared a public good so that we can have vaccine equity. Without widespread vaccination, we will not be able to end this pandemic”.

Mr Rusike said Africa should invest in building capacity and capabilities for manufacturing vaccines.

“The continent’s low manufacturing capability exposes Africans to supply chain risks such as the one experienced with the current Covid-19 vaccine challenges.  Expanding African manufacturing will have a significant public impact and economic benefits for the continent”.

Academic and researcher, Mr Alex Munyonga said the corrosive nature of Covid 19 and its exponential spreading demanded an inclusive global approach but Western countries have refused to play ball.

“Strive Masiyiwa is spot on by condemning selfish and mercantilist approach in the production and sale of Covid related drugs and equipment. This was supported also by South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa who called for the lifting of patents on Covid related technologies. 

“The celebration of Western oriented Covid 19 vaccines while African medicinal efforts are thwarted raises scepticism over Western profess about global democracy and diversity. Democracy without genuine democratisation of medicinal research is folly.

“Diversity without accepting ontological and epistemological plurality across the globe brings to light the corrosive nature of Western gaze on other regions especially Africa. Purported ‘donations’ of vaccines to Africans raises questions African position in Western medicinal experimentation and testing matrix. 

“Questions abound on why Africans are presented as experimental ‘objects’ and never ‘subjects’ of research. Western Technological and epistemological dictatorship is manifest in the midst of pandemics.  

“Western democracy hymn without genuine democratisation of medicinal research is folly. ‘Criminocratic’ interests of Western pharmaceuticals always wither African medicinal developmental prospects. Its high time Africans unite and jealously protect African intellectual and alternative knowledge from predatory Western medico-technological monsters. 

“Western countries hoard Covid 19 drugs while blocking productions by developing countries. They want to vaccinate their populations first and leave the virus to wreak havoc in non-Western regions like Africa so that out of desperation African countries will then easily fall prey to the profiteering Western pharmaceutical predators,” he said.

Mr Munyonga said Africa’s plight has always presented a gateway to super-riches by Western countries.

“There is a sense in which the pandemic and technological advances have become a new avenue of colonisation which I call techno-colonisation of Africa. Techno-medical evangelism by the West is meant to capture and suppress African medical discoveries. There is caveat Western selfishness and disregard of global plight. African plight is viewed as a gateway to super-profits. 

“This is manifest “greedocracy” spearheaded by these Western countries. Western domination thus persists as African medical epistemological capabilities are downtrodden. Asymmetrical epistemological relationships between the West and Africa persevere for the benefit of the West.  

“With such realities, it becomes questionable on how the Africans can meaningfully contribute towards taming the nauseating enemy of Covid-19, when pandemics are heavily politicized, blurred and engendered towards serving the interests of “criminocratic” Western pharmaceuticals. Africans, are pushed further away from enjoying their medicinal epistemologies through World Intellectual Property Rights and Copyrights Legislation. 

“The goal being thwarting of competition and reaping a harvest from ‘dociled’ Africans through the sale of Covid-19 related drugs and signing of related ‘deals’. Africa has to reinforce African Intellectual Property and Alternative Knowledge governance to evade falling prey to the predatory western ‘medico-technological monsters.’ 

“Morality should roost ahead of profits in such tragic moments.  From a hunhu/ubuntu perspective a life should take precedence over wealth especially in tragic moments”.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey