Accelerating the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccination in developing countries, especially in Africa, remains a priority in 2022 for the European Parliament’s Committee on Development, said Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden) on 13 January, during an exchange on the state of play of deliveries via Covax and the challenges to be met this year.
Representatives of GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance, which, along with the WHO and CEPI, is piloting this mechanism for universal access to vaccines) and its partner Unicef reported on the ramping up of dose deliveries, while citing logistical and regulatory capacity for vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries as obstacles to overcome.
According to Mr Tobé, “the desperately low vaccination rates on the African continent cast a shadow over European efforts and, therefore, over the EU/AU summit of 17-18 February”.
The MEP Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (Renew Europe, France, Co-Chair of the Covax Facility Shareholders, said she was aware that not all of the 380 million doses “sold by the EU, of which 331 million via Covax” had yet been delivered.
“The biggest challenge in 2022 will be deployment, especially in Africa” which means “getting the doses to the people, not throwing them away” due to, for example, an impending expiry date, as is the case in Nigeria. There also has to be made available, “syringes, diluents and refrigerators and the reluctance to vaccinate, which is very common in Africa, must be overcome”, she said.
Recalling that the EU has invested €1 billion to develop vaccine production capacity in Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa, she said that “Europe stands by Africa at all stages - from the urgency of immunisation to the development of the continent’s health sovereignty”.
On behalf of the Commission, Gabriella Fesus recalled that the EU “remains very committed to contributing to the global immunisation goal” - which is to vaccinate 70% of the population by mid-2022 - and that Africa is “a priority”. So far, of the 255 million doses delivered via Covax, almost half have been delivered to Africa.
It is crucial, she said, that the 700 million doses pledged by the EU and its member states by mid-2022 (including 200 million from the Commission, which it is “in the process of operationalising”) can reach the recipient countries as soon as possible.
She said she was “concerned for Africa, which is still far behind”, with some African countries having immunisation rates of 5%.
For the EU/AU summit, “the EU will present an investment package with a focus on access to vaccines and local pharmaceutical production”. She also announced a ‘health package’ to strengthen health systems.
The EU and its Member States “have been at the forefront since the launch of Covax in 2019” said Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao, GAVI’s Director of Resource Mobilisation and Private Sector Partnerships.
And pointed out that in December alone, more than 600 million doses were delivered. With 217 million doses delivered in 2021, the EU is the largest donor (followed by the US: 178.7 million).
In total, so far, of the 450 million doses pledged by the EU for low- and middle-income countries via Covax, more than 322 million have been donated and more than 219 million delivered worldwide. “We are on track to sending one billion doses by the end of the week. It has taken too long, but we can be optimistic”, she said.
The Director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, Etleva Kadilli, said that among the problems they were confronted with at the end of 2021, were the refusals mainly related to the short shelf life of doses, speed of supply and regulatory constraints. According to her, “we need to work on the acceptance of countries”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)