African Union secures 270 million vaccine doses

Chairperson of the African Union President Cyril Ramaphosa said these doses would secure herd immunity.  

"We have secured a provisional 270 million vaccine doses for African countries through the Task Team.  

"At least 50 million will be available from April to June 2021," said the president.  

Ramaphosa said this in a webinar on the Africa Covid-19 Vaccine Financing and Development Strategy on Wednesday afternoon.  

The president revealed the doses are from three major suppliers: Pfizer, AstraZeneca through the Serum Institute of India and Johnson & Johnson. 

Ramaphosa expressed concern over the access challenges of accessing vaccines for the Global South, particularly for Africa. 

Ramaphosa said the developed North, which has substantial financial resources, has purchased the largest stocks, while Africa is struggling to get their fair share. 

The president says the most painful irony is that some of the clinical trials for these vaccines were carried out in Africa. 

"The painful irony is that some of the clinical trials for these vaccines were carried out in Africa. In other cases, vaccines are packaged right here on the continent, yet we struggle to access them for our populations," said the president. 

"Vaccine prices are high, and many countries may not afford to vaccinate enough of their population to achieve herd immunity." 

Ramaphosa told members that India and South Africa have proposed a TRIPS waiver in response to the pandemic. 

"We are calling on the World Trade Organization to waive specific TRIPS obligations related to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 for a defined period. We need more countries to support this initiative." 

"This would enable countries in Africa and elsewhere to access active pharmaceutical ingredients and benefit from technology transfer, including the know-how to manufacture vaccines in Africa at a cheaper cost," the president explained.