Wilmot James: Rich countries must seize the moment and donate 20% of their vaccines to Africa
Wilmot James, ISERP Senior research Scholar, and Abigail Pyne were published in the Daily Maverick.
Sharing vaccine doses with Africa is not just a moral imperative, it is an act that will protect the G7’s own citizens, economies and health systems. Unicef has proposed that G7 members donate 20% of their available vaccines, which would allow one billion doses to be quickly administered to nations in need, saving thousands of African lives.
The pressing need of the African continent, with its population vaccination rate of a mere 2.16%, is for immediately usable vaccine doses. The 47th G7 summit, which takes place in Cornwall in the UK over the weekend, is the perfect opportunity for global leaders to confront this challenge.