The PANAFRICAN Review
then , competed amongst each other for photo opportunities that showcase their “ generosity ” as they donate their excesses , with close expiry dates . Consequently , Africa ’ s attempts to access Covid-19 vaccines have become a tragic-comedy punctuated by tales of how a would-be client was turned into a beggar so that the would-be seller could retain his “ saviour ” status . Clearly , the saviour status – as understood by our “ benefactors ” – is antithetical to the idea of dignity for the beneficiaries .
Both wrongs require a change of value systems . On the one hand , Africans must own up to their failures and disrupt the predictions of their imminent demise at the hands of a deadly virus .
In this regard , President Macky Sall of Senegal and President Kagame of Rwanda have shown the change of orientation and sense of urgency needed to respond to the challenge ; they have shown that a new direction that gets Africa out of perpetual vulnerability - that allows others to predict its impending demise - is possible .
“ Africa was used to receiving foreign aid whenever problems hit . But this pandemic hit the whole world . Countries that would offer such aid were hit as well . It [ the partnership with BioNTech ] will not only be for Rwanda or Covid-19 vaccine . It will produce multiple vaccines for the whole of Africa ,” President Kagame told the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency ( RBA ) in a recent interview , on September 5 , 2021 .
President Kagame ’ s remarks are a subtle call for a change of mindset in Africa – a change that would compel us to reject the self-defeating mentality of relying on foreign aid and embrace values that cultivate self-worth and dignity in and for our people . Perhaps then , Africans can seriously envision taking their health security into their own hands by leveraging the abundant resources of the continent to further their interests .
On the other hand , it is not sufficient to proclaim that “ a threat anywhere in the world is a threat everywhere in the world ” as western leaders have done on several occasions since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic ; they must actually be prepared to act according to their public pronouncements and live up to their professed values . Clearly , the western world cannot claim to be concerned about the well-being and the human rights of Africans while undermining the global fight against the covid-19 pandemic by formulating apartheid policies that lead to preventable deaths ; ironically , they promote policies that kill the very people whose human rights these western governments and their human rights organisations and “ activists ” repeatedly claim to be fighting for .
Obviously , a change of value systems is needed on the part of the West in order for them to be consistent with the ideals they claim to promote . Indeed , if the world is to defeat this pandemic , a value system that shuns duplicity and embraces cooperation instead of competition for supremacy is long overdue . In this regard , BioN- Tech ’ s decision to enter into partnership with African countries will offer insights into what such a value system could produce if pursued with conviction .
“ Rwanda and Senegal ’ s partnership with BioNTech marks a turning point in vaccine equity ,” President Kagame said after the Compact with Africa summit in Berlin in August , thanking German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European partners for their contribution .
To change counter-productive value systems that feed on each other is not only the humane thing to do ; it is what science and history call for . The Bubonic plague that ravaged Christian Europe in the 14th century is as insightful as any major pandemic could be . As the plague spread from Italy , Spain , France to England and the rest of Europe , the Roman Catholic Church , which dominated the politics of these countries at the time , offered prayers as a substitute for science . After millions had died , the survivors turned against the church , which had failed to protect their loved ones . In hindsight , they turned against a value system that rejected science .
Similar trends rejecting science have been observed in some parts of Africa , where political and religious leaders have refused to reckon with the dangers posed by the pandemic . Moreover , little to no efforts were put into research to back initiatives led by African scientists on the continent . The efforts by Senegal and Rwanda are without any doubt a major step in the right direction , but more will be needed if Africa is to move from manufacturing to innovation .
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