A handout picture taken on March 11, 2021, and released by Urugwiro Village, the office of the President, shows Rwandas President Paul Kagame receiving the first injection of the Covid-19 vaccine at King Faisal hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Friday described vaccine distribution in Africa as “scandalously inefficient” and warned against building an “invisible wall” around parts of the world unable to secure jabs.
Kagame said efforts to ensure fair vaccine access, including the WHO-backed Covax initiative, remained “scandalously inefficient” and added that depriving Africa risked prolonging the pandemic. “The backlash will be there, it will come back to them. If we do it equitably, then we have the chance of eradicating it globally.
Kagame said it was essential Africa start manufacturing its own vaccines but pointed to hurdles in the way of investment, intellectual property rights and technology.“Our desire here in Rwanda, we hope we can see vaccine being manufactured here in no less than a period of one year. That is on a very optimistic side.”
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)