Africa-Press – Zambia. Dr.Ayoade Alakija, the co-chair of the African Unions Vaccine Delivery Alliance has described the travel bans imposed on some Africa countries as discriminatory.” Why are we locking away Africa? Nobody is locking away Belgium or Israel. This is discriminatory, this is xenophobic,” she said.
Dr.Ayoade Alakija said it is now clear that had covid been first identified in Africa last year , the world would have locked Africa away and thrown the keys.There would have been no urgency to develope vaccines because Africa would have been expendable. Dr.Alakija said what is going on now was inevitable and a result of the worlds failure to vaccinate in an urgent and equitable manner; a result of hoarding by high income countries of the world. She said the travel bans are based on politics and not science. Dr.Alakija said it is time African leaders stand up and find their voice. African leaders need to wake up and realise this is not business as usual,the continent is at stake , african lives are at stake and we can not allow the world to do this to us.
Right now not enough is known about the omicron variant. Dr Angelique Coetzee, the Chairperson of the South African Medical Association said she was first alerted when patients started presenting with extreme tiredness and body aches in mid November.This change in clinical picture from the picture that was previously seen with the delta variant is what prompted the sequencing of the variant. Dr.Coetzee stressed that the symptoms were extremely mild and the knee jerk reaction by countries rushing to restrict travel on South africa and other African countries unacceptable.She questioned whether with this kind of reaction, South African scientists are expected to be transparent going forward.
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