If Donald Trump loses the forthcoming election one of the culprits of his defeat would be his mishandling of COVID-19. The deaths that have been recorded in the United States is scandalous, avoidable, and painful. These fatalities have made the need for a vaccine expedient and there is now a vaccine race between the major powers of the world. Months ago, there was a global outcry when a French citizen suggested that Africa should be used to test run the vaccines that are under development. The recent announcement of Russia finalizing a vaccine that Vladimir Putin has certified with the alleged inoculation of his daughter is an announcement the world and especially African nations should analyze with Russia’s past and recent history. Some have likened the Russian announcement to their feat in besting America during the space race of yesteryears. It was just days ago that the South African born Elon Musk helped to put America back into Space Engineering credibility. As successful as the Russians are in Space Engineering, a similar thing cannot be said about their abilities in healthcare. On the contrary, the Russian state has been found wanting and unethical on many occasions. The Olympic committee was forced to suspend Russia’s participation in past Olympics because of state-sponsored performance enhancement drug use by Russian athletes. Hence, it will be foolhardy for any nation to open their healthcare to the Russian vaccine even in these desperate times.
China, the United States, and other European nations will most likely announce their vaccines before the end of 2020. My prediction is that China will soon announce theirs and make Africa their marketing target. The fact that COVID-19 originated in China has provoked many conspiracy theories. The fact that China lacks transparency to outside scrutiny is a major source of concern. A few scientists has even alluded to the fact that COVID-19 originated from a Chinese laboratory. Some will go a step further to say China will in the coming days do all to benefit from the Pandemic by selling or seemingly gifting their vaccine to nations that are presently under their cloak especially African nations whose government has already been entangled with Chinese loans and other seemingly beneficial interventions. America and European nations are not immune to discrepancies in health-related issues and drug production. Nigeria had a Pfizer controversy years ago that is still fresh in the minds of responsible Nigerians. I have said responsible Nigerians because of the recent statements of Nigerian government officials, particularly Rotimi Amaechi who became a spokesman for the Chinese in the recent Ministry of Transportation loan request with a supporting voice by Lai Mohammed. Both are still pushing for a new loan from China after multiple global examples of nations like Sri Lanka whose Sea Port was ceased by China after defaulting on their difficult to pay back infrastructure loans from China.
Like Nigeria, most African country’s leaders have been compromised and are ready to go into all sorts of arrangements with China if their vaccine is released. The area of concern is that Russia and China are more concerned about global prominence than providing global health solutions. Though America and Europe cannot be excused from this mindset, they are different because of the checks and balances in democratic governance as practiced in Europe and America. These governments have regulatory bodies that are more concerned about public safety than global prominence. And they have set up protocols that minimize the release of vaccines that can harm the public. Vaccines are particularly important in the control of a pandemic or eradication of diseases as shown by the eradication of Polio and other pandemics like the Spanish flu that is like COVID-19. The urgent need for a vaccine to control or eliminate COVID-19 should not be an excuse to release vaccines that can worsen the present situation. The health of the citizenry anywhere in the world most supersedes all other motives. Nations planning to cash in on COVID-19 should truncate this evil agenda and put humanity and the eradication of this Pandemic as their only motivation to research and produce the vaccines that are urgently needed especially in the United States and other parts of the world.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – www.towncryyers.com