Africa debt stalls C-19 effort

African countries are being prevented from tackling the COVID-19 pandemic effectively due to a crippling debt crisis, a leading charity has warned.

Christian Aid says the costs associated with vaccinating populations is prohibiting them from rolling out meaningful health programmes, as they simply don’t have the cash to pay for life-saving drugs and medical equipment.

A new research paper unveiled yesterday (17 May 2021) by the charity shows how developing countries need ‘a comprehensive debt cancellation deal’ to help ensure they can rapidly distribute Covid-19 vaccines.

Christian Aid also says private creditors should be forced to be part of a comprehensive debt deal agreed by the world’s 20 most powerful economies, thereby ensuring a long-term solution to the continent’s problems can be found.

In Vaccine Debts, Christian Aid demands the waiving of vaccine patents, so developing countries with generic medicine production capacity are able to boost production, lower prices, and help to save lives.

It also argues the need for what it calls a ‘solidarity package’ – so all countries have an equal chance to tackle the common challenges presented by COVID-19 and the climate crisis.

Global responsibilities

Fionna Smyth, the charity’s head of global advocacy and policy, said: ‘COVID-19 and climate change are complex crises requiring globally coordinated action. Wealthier countries have a responsibility both to support crisis prevention measures – COVID-19 vaccines, and climate mitigation and renewable energy – and curative measures, such as health systems or climate adaptation.

‘A solidarity approach is in the self-interest of rich, as well as poor. Decisive action and adequate investment now will reduce long-term costs, whilst saving lives and livelihoods.

‘A just recovery from this crisis depends on G20 countries and the International Financial Institutions living up to their global responsibilities, and resolving the debt crisis in a decisive and durable way.’

The research paper has been published against a backdrop of three million people dying from COVID-19. The pandemic is also pushing an estimated 150 million people into extreme poverty, whilst deepening poverty for many more people who were already unable to meet their basic needs.

The document points out that so far, Africa has accounted for about two per cent of vaccine doses, despite being home to 14 per cent of the world’s population.

To read the full Vaccine Debts report, please click here.