According to the World Health Organization, less than 2% of vaccine doses have been administered in Africa. Most come from the Covax initiative, which is led by the WHO. Given the risk of shortages, Senegal aims to produce its own vaccines.
as reported from Dakar,Charlotte idrac
Target shown: early 2022. The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, which produces vaccines against yellow fever, has experience, the authorities say. IRESSEF, the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Education also positions itself. Two agreements were signed with a biotechnology company in Wallonia during a visit by President Macky Sall to Belgium.
In the face of the health crisis, the continent must “strengthen its autonomy”, according to the Senegalese Minister of Health. Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, who represented the head of state this week at a meeting of the African Union Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There is production capacity in Africa and we can build more. We will also continue the promising discussions that have begun with South Africa and are open to other employees. I urge us to put Africa at the center of the map so that global production becomes more balanced. ”
For Dakar, the question of “sharing intellectual property rights must be posed”. Several countries, including South Africa, are arguing for a temporary revocation of antiviral vaccine patents.
.
