John Nkengasong, Director of the African Union's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, is worried that vaccine apartheid will have dire consequences for Africans in the near future.
Nkengasong in an interview with CNN stressed that the continent needed to be taken along by the developed world as they vigorously roll out inoculation efforts. Africa's rollout has been relatively slower with over a third of African countries yet to receive doses.
Asked about Africa's lack of vaccines, he said: "That is absolutely one of our greatest concerns, that the vaccine situation will continue to exacerbate the inequality gap that exists in the world especially the north – south divide.
"My greatest fear also is is that once the US and Europe get the vaccine, they begin to impose the need to have vaccine certificate to travel and that is extremely complicated for Africans to travel across the world.
In his concluding remarks he asked that Africa teams up with development partners to achieve its 60% continent-wide vaccination in the next two years.
"I think that is why we should as a collective of the continent and of course in partnership with the developed world make sure that Africa has a timely access to vaccines to meet our vaccination targets."
The head of @AfricaCDC unpacks the continent's plans to vaccinate 60% of its population within two years. He says the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will still "play a major role" in the rollout, despite questions over how it affects variantspic.twitter.com/hwulw8o3v3
