Africa must reduce reliance on foreign countries to tackle health challenges - AU agency

African countries have been advised to seek ways of improving healthcare on the continent to lessen reliance on foreign countries as witnessed at this COVID-19 pandemic period.

The Executive Secretary, Coalition for Dialogue on Africa; an African Union agency, Ms Souad Aden-Osman, said an independent task team on the Development of Vaccines and Equitable Universal Access to Vaccines and Vaccination in Africa, would be launched at a workshop slated for the Igbinedion University on Monday in Benin City, Edo State.

She stated that the launch was to ensure that measures were designed to prepare the African continent to face any global health challenge that might break out in future instead of relying on foreign medical solutions as currently being experienced in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

She said, “The development of vaccines and the improvement of the healthcare system should be private sector-driven with the government in African countries coming together to create an enabling environment. We must make sure the private sector comes in forcefully. We need to believe in ourselves. The same energy used to chase out colonial masters should be used to battle the pandemic and any future health challenge.

“Technology is now simplified and I am sure that Africa has the scientists to find solutions. We will also need to partner with scientists from other parts of the world to achieve success. The environment, lack of electricity and some other problems should not hinder our desire to provide lasting solutions to health problems in Africa. In his contribution, President, Manufacturer Association of Nigeria, Mandir Ahmed, said that the continent had the capacity to produce what is needed and to consume what it produces if the right steps were taken.

He said: “African countries must scale up capacity to produce so that import will be less and trade between the continent and others in the world will become equitable."