Africans 'Must Be Primary Consumers' of Vaccines Manufactured in Africa, Burkinabe Doctor Says
Africans 'Must Be Primary Consumers' of Vaccines Manufactured in Africa, Burkinabe Doctor Says
Africa's control of its own health is a heartfelt plea of Zékiba Tarnagda, a Burkinabe veterinarian and doctor of microbiology, virology, and epidemiology, interviewed by Sputnik Africa.
Tarnagda's plea comes as Africa demonstrates its potential for self-sufficiency in vaccine production. The 2024 inauguration of the Diamniadio Vaccinopôle in Senegal is a striking example. This new facility could produce between 5 and 30 million doses of vaccines, specifically targeting yellow fever.
"Other African countries must agree to consume Senegal's vaccine. However, I see that there are countries that prefer to buy vaccines from elsewhere, across the oceans. They don't want to consume what is manufactured in Africa," said the researcher.
He expressed concern that there seemed to be a phobia of African-made products, which he found unsettling.
Amid the decline in foreign funding, particularly from the United States, the doctor called on African entrepreneurs to mobilize. He denounced certain international NGOs, with "seductive objectives," which keep African nations under an "economic, political, and even cultural yoke."
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