By Daniel Frimpong
A conference spanning four days in Accra, titled ‘Equitable access to COVID-19 Vaccines in Africa (ECOVA),’ concluded with a commitment to generating crucial evidence informing vaccine production and equitable distribution across Africa.
Experts and stakeholders convened to address disparities in vaccine access across the continent. Representatives from Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, DR Congo, Botswana, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso discussed strategies to enhance vaccine distribution, gender mainstreaming, and public awareness, with a focus on marginalized populations.
Organized by the African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the conference forms part of the three-year collaborative ECOVA project funded by the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC).
Critical evidence gathering
Professor John Ataguba, Executive Director of AfHEA, underscored the project’s aim to gather vital evidence shaping Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine strategy, distribution, delivery, uptake, and future healthcare initiatives. He highlighted the project’s focus on investigating how global power dynamics worsened vaccine production and distribution disparities in Africa.
Addressing disparities
Ataguba stressed the need to address disparities in vaccine access among different socio-economic groups and regions. He emphasized the importance of finding solutions to improve distribution during future disease outbreaks requiring vaccines or medicines.
Gender mainstreaming
The conference aimed to mainstream gender perspectives into all project aspects, acknowledging significant gender disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access. Ataguba emphasized capacitating participants to effectively communicate with various stakeholders, including policymakers and the general public.
Building networks
Additionally, the conference aimed to build a robust network enabling knowledge sharing on vaccine production, distribution, and delivery. It sought to empower researchers to contribute their scientific expertise to the discourse on vaccine access and related issues.
Sharing lessons learned
Ataguba emphasized the importance of sharing lessons learned from COVID-19 across the continent, identifying similarities, differences, and opportunities for mutual learning among countries.