Africa faces another vaccine apartheid in the fight against monkeypox
Monday, October 24, 2022 | 860 Views |
Dr. Echey Ijezie
The world may once again lose a chance to control a pandemic.
The zoonotic viral disease, which is already endemic in 10 countries in West and Central Africa, only drew the world's attention after affecting people in rich countries in the Global North. Wealthy countries’ self-destructive unwillingness to cooperate for the benefit of the entire global population is evident again, even after the disruption caused by COVID-19.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...