What It Would Take to Get A Covid-19 Vaccine to Africa
According to public health expert Evelyn Castle, the super-cold storage temperature required for the new vaccine will make it near impossible to deliver in rural parts of the continent. The vaccine must be kept at temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius (-94 F) or below - colder than the North Pole. In Nigeria, many rural health centres have solar-powered fridges, but Castle said they lack the power to hit -70°C. A new global assessment of purchasing agreements for COVID-19 vaccines reveals that high-income countries, as well as a few middle-income countries flush with manufacturing capacity, have already purchased nearly 3.8 billion doses, with options for another five billion.
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Africa:
What It Would Take to Get Super-Cold Covid-19 Vaccine to West Africa
Thomson Reuters Foundation, 12 November 2020
A promising new coronavirus vaccine must be kept at Antarctic temperatures, raising concerns for delivery in Africa Read more »
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Nigeria:
10 Things You Should Know About Vaccine Candidates
Nigeria Health Watch, 12 November 2020
(1) Why are vaccines important in the COVID-19 pandemic? Read more »
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Nigeria:
Govt, WHO Target 20% of Country's Population for Covid-19 Vaccination
This Day, 13 November 2020
The federal government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have said that COVID-19 vaccines will first be given to 20 per cent of the country's most vulnerable population when… Read more »
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South Africa:
Covid-19 - No Deal Yet to Access '90% Effective' Vaccine Tested in South Africa
spotlight, 11 November 2020
The head of the South African arm of a key COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial, Dr Essak Mitha is "full of pride" for the teams' part in the research which has shown the vaccine… Read more »
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Africa:
Covid-19 Vaccine - Wealthy Countries Must Not Hoard Supplies
AI London, 9 November 2020
Deals already signed suggest people in low-income countries will be excluded from Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Read more »
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Nigeria:
Oil Prices Jump By 10% Over Pfizer's Report On Covid-19 Vaccine
This Day, 10 November 2020
Oil prices jumped by almost 10 per cent yesterday for its biggest daily gain in more than six months after Pfizer announced promising results for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate and… Read more »
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Nigeria:
Buhari Welcomes Covid-19 Vaccine, Advocates Equitable Distribution
Daily Trust, 10 November 2020
President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the arrival of the first effective coronavirus vaccine after a successful human trial phase. Read more »
InFocus
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A new global assessment of purchasing agreements for Covid-19 vaccines reveals that high-income countries, as well as a few middle-income countries flush with manufacturing capacity, have already purchased nearly 3.8 billion doses, with options for another five billion. The analysis, released by the Duke Global Health Innovation Center, shows that many of these countries will be able to vaccinate their entire populations-and some many times over-before billions of people are vaccinated in low-income
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Of 195 countries, more than 170 have joined a global collaboration to develop, produce and provide Covid-19 vaccines on an equitable basis around the world. The aim of #COVAX is to distribute two billion doses during 2021, beginning with front-line health workers and people who are most vulnerable - with the goal of preventing deaths and opening economies. China joined the effort on 9 October 2020. The United States continued to refuse.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the clock back by years, in the fight against other diseases. It has interrupted research, trials and other efforts to ease the public health burden. A regimen for Parkinson's disease, for example, was to begin clinical trials this year. But this was postponed because of the pandemic. Researchers have warned that if Covid-19 halts distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets, cases of malaria may increase by 206 million, with deaths totaling 379,000 in
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In Benin, the World Health Organisation (WHO) welcomed the nation's expansion of laboratory facilities for testing Covid-19, allowing it to perform 10,000 tests per day. Similarly, Senegal has increased attempts to bolster Covid-19 testing by delivering results within 24 hours and by automating the process at every stage, where possible. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, border security officers in Ogun state are working to deter illegal traffic in order to curb importation of Covid-19 into what the WHO
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(file photo).
