While many African countries have begun to receive the first batches of COVID-19 vaccines within the COVAX program, others have refused to participate in the UN-led initiative to halt the coronavirus pandemic.
Within the framework of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX) as many as 31 African countries have received 60 million vaccine doses so far. At the same time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted that less than 2% of the total global number of vaccines have been administered in Africa. COVAX aims to deliver 600 million doses in total, enabling at least 20% of the African population to be vaccinated. In turn, African countries will have to spend US$12 billion to acquire sufficient doses to manage the pandemic effectively.
In the East African country of Tanzania, where approximately 68% of its 44.9 million citizens live below the poverty line of US$1.25 a day, the authorities have declined to participate in the COVAX program. The recently deceased President, John Magufuli, declared that his country did not need any vaccinations because “Vaccines are not good. If they were, then the white man would have brought vaccines for HIV/AIDS. We Tanzanians haven’t locked ourselves in and we don’t expect to lock ourselves down. I don’t expect to announce any lockdown because our God is living and He will continue to protect Tanzanians.”
Today, the government maintains this stance which is against the recommendations of the WHO and despite multiple signs of the country being affected by the pandemic.
Tanzania has not reported any COVID-19 cases since May 2020 when the total number of those infected reached 500 with 20 people having died. However, according to BBC reports, the country is likely to be experiencing a hidden pandemic. Although medical personnel have been forbidden to talk about the pandemic in public, some have admitted anonymously that they have observed an increasing number of patients with respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19. One of the doctors working in a hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and former capital, also told the BBC that a growing number of patients have required oxygen with the situation being the same in both public and private health care facilities.
There are also other indications that may suggest Tanzania is dealing with a significant rise in COVID-19 cases. A local non-profit organization, Change Tanzania, conducted a survey that reveals an increase in deaths in December 2020 and January to February 2021 compared to the same period of last year. The BBC has also used satellite imagery that shows an increase in burials and burials sites in Dar es Salaam.
While the Tanzanian administration remains opposed to receiving vaccines, it recommends that its citizens use completely ineffective steam inhalations with herbs.
A similar attitude was initially taken by Madagascar’s authorities. President Andry Rajoelina insisted that the country would not join COVAX and instead recommended the use of herbal remedies against COVID-19. “Personally, I have not yet been vaccinated and I do not have any intention of getting vaccinated.” he has been quoted as saying. However, after strong criticism from Madagascar’s National Academy of Medicine, he changed his mind and finally decided to join COVAX although, despite this, the distribution of the highly controversial local anti-coronavirus remedy COVID Organics (CVO) has not been halted. There is no scientific proof that CVO cures COVID-19.
Another African country that is unwilling to participate in the UN-led COVAX scheme at the moment is Burundi. Thaddee Ndikumana, the health minister of this East African country, has said that the emphasis should be on preventing the disease. According to him, “since more than 95% of patients are recovering, we estimate that the vaccines are not yet necessary.” Burundi’s land and water borders remain closed and the country has registered over 1,600 confirmed cases so far.
The Eritrean government has also refused to introduce vaccines to the country for similar reasons to those of Tanzania as its authorities believe that the pandemic can be curbed by other means.
Over 3.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Africa since the outbreak began in March 2020.
