AfDB Urges Intellectual Property Waiver For COVID-19 Vaccine Production In Africa

Related stories

Mystery Buyer of First Bank Stake Spurs Query From Nigeria’s SEC

A week after Foluke Oyeleye and Ayoola Otudeko sold...

Thailand recalls ambassador to Cambodia amid border tensions

Thailand has recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and will...

For Aisha Buhari at a time like this By Funke Egbemode

By Funke Egbemode She was only 18 years old when...

2027: Four Senators Dump PDP as APC Numbers Rise To 70 in Upper Chambers

• PDP's Plummet to 50 By Abiola Olawale  Four senators on...

The African development Bank (AfDB) has tasked African nations to immediately commence the production of COVID-19 Vaccines as a move towards attaining herd immunity and creating jobs.

Prof. Kevin Urama, a Chief Economist and Vice President of the Bank, said in an interview with the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Africa needs to push for intellectual property waivers to begin reproduction of existing vaccines.

Speaking on the sidelines of the just concluded Africa Economic Summit which held in a hybrid format, Urama said that Africa must step up to the rest of the World so that it is not left behind.

He added that the only way out of the pandemic was to find vaccines that are accessible to everyone and affordable by everyone.

He stressed that universal access to vaccines is fundamental, especially as the pandemic continues with several mutations being witnessed.

“In terms of immediate options on how we can do it, we need to push for waivers in intellectual property rights over things that are already produced, to allow for reproduction of  those vaccines in other countries.

“African governments need to encourage franchising: we don’t have to do it ourselves, but we need to create the policy environment that will allow the companies that own those vaccines Astrazenica, Pfizer, and the rest of them to establish plants in Africa and produce those vaccines in Africa.

“This will not only solve the health challenges but it will also create jobs, boost income, boost domestic revenue – everything that industrialization will do,” he said.

He said that Africa should not hesitate in investing in vaccine production, pointing out that apart from holding over 25 per cent of the World’s bio diversity, Africans were involved in developing the current vaccines being used.

He added that the continent also had trained scientists and as such challenged the nations to scale up their efforts.

“Africa needs to invest in smart Health Infrastructure, Africa needs to invest in producing the vaccines and Africa can do it and there are several innovative policies that can allow us to do more,” he said.

The AfDB VP also pointed the continent to its potent traditional medicines which he noted were used many years ago to cure all kinds of sicknesses.

He said that Africa can utilize modern scientific knowledge to find the Active ingredients that were doing the miracles.

“In Addition, we also need to look into our traditional medicine options: all those herbs that our forefathers had been using to cure diseases, can’t we bring our modern scientific knowledge to try and find what those active ingredients are that were doing those miracles.

“Then we will be able to formalise them or even do as some countries have been doing: create rights or patents or licenses for people to produce those medical solutions and scale them.

“Should the African development bank be backing it: Yes!

“The African Development Bank is working with its board of directors and management to think around how to develop its strategy for investing in smart health infrastructure on the continent,” he said.

Urama stressed that it was an area that needed the support of everyone, adding that the pandemic should have taught Africa a vital lesson that sometimes, live in a pandemic, money cannot get you the best healthcare in the world.

He said that the lessons learnt should spur Africa to develop its own health infrastructures.

“So the need for investing in smart health infrastructure is huge. But this is not to think of health as we used to think of it that health is for only when you get sick,” he added. (NAN)

Hamilton Nwosa
Hamilton Nwosa
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Mystery Buyer of First Bank Stake Spurs Query From Nigeria’s SECThailand recalls ambassador to Cambodia amid border tensionsFor Aisha Buhari at a time like this By Funke EgbemodeSaraki Blasts Atiku, David Mark, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Other PDP Defectors, Says Mass Exodus Lacks Vision2027: Four Senators Dump PDP as APC Numbers Rise To 70 in Upper Chambers[VIDEO]: Battle Rages As Amaechi Storms Rivers, Pulls Unprecedented Crowd for ADCOil Price Swings Challenge Big Oil Trading ProfitsOba Otudeko: EFCC Drops ₦12.3 Billion Fraud Case After FirstHoldco Shares SaleReconsider Travel to Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Chad, DRC, 7 Others, US Tells Citizens in Latest Travel AdvisoryDrama as Trump Accuses Obama, Biden, Others of Alleged Treason, Vows To Go After themSuper Falcons dethrone South Africa, romp into WAFCON final in MoroccoBig Oil’s Power Couple Heads to GuyanaThe U.S. Has Only The 10th Most Powerful Passport: Here’s What That Means2027: PDP Eyeing Jonathan, Others for Presidential Race, Party Official Reveals$24 Billion Loan: Senate Approves Tinubu's Request, Loan Strategy
X whatsapp