TheCable

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a nonprofit organisation providing medical advocacy, is set to launch a digital campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine inoculation across the world.

This was announced during the vaccinate our world (VOW) Pan-African virtual panel discussion.

The conference was centred on creating a synergy of collaboration and a practical guideline of manageable steps world leaders should consider to vaccinate citizens and stop the spread of COVID-19.

AHF said it is transferring the know-how learnt from the fight against HIV to the war against COVID-19, including morals gained through the wavering of intellectual property around antiretroviral (ART) therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Others are how removing technical regulation information system (TRIS) and transferring tech and know-how would enable better management of vaccines and reduce the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic considerably.

Penninah Lutung, bureau chief of AHF Africa, said: “If the whole world is not vaccinated, Africa, along with all developing countries, runs the risk of becoming a breeding ground for new variants.

“The risk is ever-present that if vaccines aren’t administered fast enough, new variants of COVID-19 will emerge that will not respond to the vaccines available”.

Addressing COVID-19 vaccine inequality, AHF said restricted access of the developing world to vaccines leaves many unprotected and gives the virus time to mutate beyond vaccine effectiveness.

It also urged “vaccine-hoarding countries” to reveal their plans to get their surplus vaccines to the developing world.

The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign seeks to secure $100 billion from G20 countries; produce and provide seven billion vaccine doses worldwide within one year; for companies and world governments to waive or suspend all COVID-19 vaccine patents during the pandemic.

Also it called for countries to be 100 percent transparent in sharing information and data; and world leaders must promote far greater international cooperation as the driving force for ending the pandemic, not continue with politics as usual.

AHF urged individuals and organisations to pledge their support with #VaccinateOurWorld and #vownow, to rid the world of COVID-19.

According to Worldometer, a reference website that provides real-time statistics for diverse topics, global confirmed COVID-19 cases stands at 166,370,362; 147,110,748 million people have been discharged; while the virus death toll is 3,454,889 million.