Muthuki also called for support in investment to enable production
of vaccines in developing nations
The East African Community secretary general Peter Mathuki has called for concerted efforts towards equitable global access to vaccines. Muthuki also called for support in investment to enable production of
vaccines in developing nations.
Speaking on the sidelines of High-Level debates at the 76th UN General Assembly in New York, US, Mathuki supported the call by EAC leaders to waive intellectual property rights to allow more countries—particularly
low- and middle-income countries—to produce Covid-19 vaccines.
“Intellectual property rights and export restrictions need to be lifted to allow vaccine production within the African continent. A region that is not vaccinated is a source of propagating new variants of the Covid-19 virus,”
he said.
The secretary general joined Tanzania Minister for Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation Ambassador Liberata Mulamula as the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu delivered her maiden speech at the Assembly.
“I fully support President Suluhu’s remarks that developing countries must be assisted in addressing the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 to revive economic growth. While the world discusses booster shots, access to vaccines is still posing a challenge in Africa. The principles of solidarity and cooperation in securing equitable access to Covid vaccines should be sustained,” Mathuki said.
He also reiterated the remarks by the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni calling for access to affordable Covid-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.