Ramaphosa: Investment in science needed to fight pandemics
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the so-called BRICS countries to invest in science, technology and innovation to curb pandemics similar to Covid-19.
Ramaphosa addressed the leadership summit of the economic block, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, on Tuesday.
Leaders of the five countries are expected to focus on strengthening relations on trade, economy, and security.
“In South Africa, as agreed in the 2018 Johannesburg declaration, we support the initiative to establish an integrated early warning system for preventing mass infectious diseases and believe this is a project that needs to be supported by the new development bank,” Ramaphosa said.
“Investing in science, technology and innovation will not only prepare us for future health emergencies but it will also enable us to confront other challenges. Our ministers responsible for science and their funding agencies should be recommended for the speed and efficiency with which they mobilise the capacity of our BRICS science, technology, and innovation framework program in their response to Covid-19.”
He also called for more help to repair African economies battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We remain committed to achieving sustainable development in BRICS and to the creation of opportunities for all. To fast track, our economic recovery, trade, and investment ties with BRICS countries must be strengthened,” said Ramaphosa.
“The pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of an over-dependence fragile global supply systems even for basic food and essential medical products. As African countries, it has shown us the need to build more resilient national and regional supply chains, to enable the continent of Africa to respond more effectively to such crisis in future.”
