As United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins his visit to Africa, One Campaign has advised him to urge other rich countries to deliver vaccines for the continent.
This week, Blinken will be in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal to discuss COVID-19, global health security and other issues.
The US top diplomat and Buhari will deliberate collaboration on international health security, expanding energy access and security challenges.
On Monday, Edwin Ikhuoria, One Campaign Africa Executive Director, said as the days go by without enough vaccines, Africa remains exposed to a virus that hit health systems, threatened economic growth and stifled the capacity to provide basic services.
Ikhuoria regretted that the shortage of vaccines has left the continent in a painful struggle with COVID-19, while richer countries are getting back to normal, with booster shots expanding each day.
“As US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visits Africa, he should see the urgent need to get other rich countries to follow US leadership and urgently deliver on vaccines for the continent.
“An end to the pandemic – with 70% of the world getting the needed dose – should be the mantra that drives action to avert a perpetual pandemic, which has set us back and is reversing the developmental gains of the last 25 years on the continent”, he noted.
Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal all have fewer than 6 per cent of their population fully-vaccinated. Below 2 per cent of more than 200 million people in Nigeria are fully vaccinated.
The US is the only G7 country on track to fulfil the doses it pledged to deliver by the end of 2021. The forum had agreed to share 566 million doses.
However, as of mid-November, only 318 million have been delivered, nearly 75 per cent from America.
