AU finalising R25m vaccine investment boost
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the African Union is finalising a R25 million investment to boost the continent's vaccine manufacturing capabilities.
In a speech to the National COVID-19 Conference delivered on his behalf by Minister Blade Nzimande - Ramaphosa said resource constraints are seriously hampering efforts to effectively manage the pandemic.
In May this year, South Africa, as chair of the African Union, participated in the EU Commission’s global coronavirus pledging event.
"We made a commitment to co-invest in the development of diagnostics and therapeutics and in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine."
READ: WHO: SA’s Covid-19 situation ‘can be turned around’
Ramaphosa said this pandemic has put countries to the test and severely challenged the capabilities of our healthcare systems.
"As the international community, we have been unanimous that services, supplies, products and technologies for prevention, treatment and care of COVID-19 must be available to all. No country must be left behind," he added.
He reminds us that resource constraints pose a very real barrier to the ability of vulnerable countries to effectively manage the pandemic.
"And it is here that scientific innovation will play an increasingly prominent role."
