‘Africa must be self-sufficient’: John Nkengasong on learning the deadly lessons of pandemics

John Nkengasong, the outgoing head of the body charged with responding to health emergencies in Africa, says that the past five years have been like going from one fire to the next.

Nkengasong was the first director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and was responsible for the response to the Lassa fever outbreak. The test brought by Covid-19 was formidable.

Nkengasong says that before vaccines were available, he knew that it would be the greatest struggle that the continent would go through. He was disappointed in the lack of global solidarity to ensure equitable access to vaccines.

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They are both pandemics but this one [HIV] is moving more quietly. We have to make sure we aren’t dealing with one and letting another spread in silence

Cases in Africa have waned, but the epidemic is not over. He says that we are in a dangerous phase where the outlook could change.

He will be the first person of African origin to hold the post when he leaves the Africa CDC later this year. More than 200,000 Covid deaths have been recorded in Africa. Access to a vaccine for the majority of Africa's 1.1 billion people has been difficult. In Africa, 20% of people have received at least one dose of a vaccine, compared with 75% in Europe.

Big manufacturers have been criticized for giving priority to agreements with more powerful countries when groups of low-income nations had competitive purchasing power through pooled procurements. Both programmes have offered relief, but they have fallen short of high expectations.

840,000 vaccines delivered through Covax had expired by the time they arrived.

It's not because they didn't, it's because they face challenges.

There have been reasons for optimism recently. An agreement on vaccine patent waivers between the US, EU, India and South Africa is close. African countries would be able to make their own.

The World Health Organization is offering the countries access to the technology that will allow them to make their own vaccines.

When African countries struggled to get vital drugs during the HIV epidemic of the 1990s, there were no lessons learned.

When ARBs were available, it took at least 10 years for programmes likePepfar. About 10 million Africans died between that time.

HIV rates were at risk of rising with health systems focused on fighting the epidemic.

They are both Pandemics, but this one is moving more quietly. It's an issue that's very important to me and it's a big concern at the moment. We have to make sure we don't let another one spread in silence.

The Africa CDC was launched in the aftermath of a devastating outbreak of the disease, which killed more than 11,000 people in west and central Africa. Since the organisation helped bolster the health response systems have been highly effective.

Nkengasong says that the body would benefit from more independence.

The Africa CDC is not likely to get respite before a new wave of Covid cases.

Africa had to focus on becoming self-sufficient to handle future crises. Africa is self-sufficient and is a key pathway for global security.

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