The World Health Organisation has reacted against the thought of using Africa as testing ground for the coronavirus vaccine.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a video conference on Monday termed the proposal “a disgrace and appalling to listen to it from scientists within the 21st century”.
According to the WHO chief, the proposal by French scientists is racist and a hangover from the “colonial mentality”.
“Africa cannot and can not be a laboratory for any vaccine. we’ll follow all the principles to check all therapeutics everywhere the planet using precisely the same rule whether it’s in Europe, Africa or wherever….and the hangover from the colonial mentality has got to stop,” said Ghebreyesus.
He said the remarks by the French medics went against the worldwide solidarity call in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, the 2 French doctors – Jean Paul-Mira and Camille Locht’s – faced backlash after proposing that Africa be used as testing ground for a coronavirus vaccine.
Mira, head of medical care at Cochin hospital in Paris, said: “It could also be provocative. Should we not do that study in Africa where there are not any masks, no treatment or medical care , a touch bit like it’s been finished certain AIDS studies, where among prostitutes, we try things because we all know that they’re highly exposed and don’t protect themselves.”
Camille Locht, head of research at the Inserm health research group said a study in Africa was already into account . He said: “We are within the process of brooding about a study in parallel in Africa.”
The remarks were made on French channel LCI during a discussion on Wednesday, April 1, over COVID-19 trials set to start out in Europe and Australia.
