New Sadc president gives vaccine call to arms

In his first speech since becoming the head of the regional bloc Sadc, Malawi's president has called on fellow leaders to fight for fair access to coronavirus jabs.

President Lazarus Chakwera said Africans have a moral duty to reject second- class status in the distribution and production of vaccines, invented and manufactured in labs where some of the scientists doing such work are Africans.

According to the World Health Organization, 31.7% of people worldwide have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine but in low incomes countries it's only 1.3%. 

The disparity has been blamed on pharmaceutical corporations refusing to allow the Covid-19 vaccines to be produced as widely as possible by sharing their knowledge free from patents.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: EPA