One of the key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic “is that goodwill is not enough,” according to Dr. Githinji Gitahi, group CEO at Amref Health Africa.
“Countries depended on each other out of goodwill. ... Unfortunately, they were duped,” Gitahi said during a Devex event held on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly.
Why it matters: Gitahi said that low-income countries waited for COVID-19 vaccines, believing that the vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX would be prioritized. “But the wait cost them lives” and resulted in a loss of confidence and trust, he added.
People are now asking, “Why should I get this vaccine if I have been alive for this long?’” he said. “So there is now an uphill task to overcome that challenge.”
“Public health usually stands and is rooted in trust, and inequity has thinned that trust,” added Petra Khoury, director for the health and care department at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
What’s next: Nina Schwalbe, an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, said now is the time for “a new contract with industry” — one that holds pharmaceutical companies accountable and makes sure that they are thinking about vaccine access for low-income countries.
She added that global procurement agencies and high-income countries can request, demand, or build in conditionalities when they buy, procure, or sign advance purchase agreements for doses. Such conditionalities can ensure that low-income countries are first in line and can also come with agreements on transferring technology or sharing know-how related to vaccines.
Gitahi said the answer lies in manufacturing — but local manufacturing has to be part of the global supply chain and global production.
“It can’t be that Africa is producing for itself,” he said. “It has to be that Africa is producing for the world and has been supported to do so, so that we assure security in future.”
About the author
Rumbi Chakamba
Rumbi Chakamba is a Senior Editor at Devex based in Botswana, who has worked with regional and international publications including News Deeply, The Zambezian, Outriders Network, and Global Sisters Report. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of South Africa.
