Mo Ibrahim Foundation calls on wealthier nations to share 5% of their vaccine supplies with less advanced nations
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation in a statement released on Wednesday called for a series of urgent actions aimed at upscaling vaccine access in Africa.
Africa is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions. The continent is home to 17% of the world’s population and yet accounts for just 0.5% of global vaccine distribution, according to the latest data.
“Ensuring equitable and balanced access to vaccines is a matter of global security and shared interest. If the virus is not defeated everywhere, it will continue to spread and mutate,” the foundation said in the statement.
The statement signed by the Foundation’s Board Members, Ibrahim Prize Committee and Prize Laureates, called for immediate and united efforts to advance vaccine equity. This includes unlocking additional resources to fill Africa’s vaccine gap and build the continent’s vaccine manufacturing capacity in the longer term.
“We are calling for wealthier countries to share 5% of their vaccine supplies with less advanced countries, and for the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to be efficiently channelled to benefit the countries and sectors that need them most critically,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the priority areas, as well as new research from the Foundation on ‘Africa and COVID-19: one year on’, will be at the centre of discussions at the Ibrahim Forum during the upcoming Ibrahim Governance Weekend, taking place for the first time in a virtual format on 3 to 5 June 2021.
