Allow private hospitals to import Covid vaccines, Kenya told

 

Africa CDC has asked the Ministry of Health to allow the private sector to import Covid-19 vaccines.

Kenya banned private importation of Covid-19 vaccines on April 2 after one firm brought in Sputnik V, which lacks the emergency use licence from the World Health Organization.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control deputy director Dr Ahmed Ogwell said the private sector can vaccinate at least 30 per cent of Kenyans by the end of next year. However, he said they need to import vaccines through a proper framework developed by the Ministry of Health.

According to the head of the vaccine rollout task force, Dr Willis Akhwale, Kenya has revised its vaccination plan and aims to cover 60 per cent of the population by the end of next year.

Ogwell, a Kenyan public health expert based in Addis Ababa, spoke at a meeting organised by Africa Health Business on Tuesday.

“We need good frameworks developed by the government so it is important to vet who imports the vaccine. Having a lot of money is not the criteria for who is first on the queue for importation. It's important that only genuine private sector get vaccination licence, but through well-established government mechanism,” he said.

“Vaccines purchased outside these pathways are dangerous because they can open the chance for spurious products.”

Kenya has only vaccinated about one million people but targets at least 25 million people by end of next year to achieve herd immunity.

Ogwell said by May 18, the entire of Africa had imported 38 million doses of different types of Covid vaccines. Of these 38, only 22 million doses have been utilised.

“This tells that we are at the tail end of receiving vaccines. We are 1.3 billion people, so we are away from the 738 million target. Even the little we’re receiving we’re not vaccinating and this tells you the process is slow. It’s not vaccines that save lives, it's vaccination,” he said.

He said the Covax mechanism that Kenya is relying on can only cover 30 per cent of the population by the end of next year. He said the remaining 30 per cent can only be covered with the involvement of the private sector.  

Ogwell said private facilities can import through the AU’s Covid-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (Avatt), once the government allows.

“Avatt is not mandated to sell directly to the private sector, but we will facilitate the private sector to buy vaccines so we reach our 60 per cent,” he said.

Africa Health Business director Amit Thakker said they are already discussing with the MoH to allow private importation.

“This is the largest test for the private sector. Africa is getting only one per cent of vaccines and we are in problems because the factory of the world, India, is in problems. Covax will give 30 per cent by next year. The private sector should give another 30 per cent,” he said.

Lolen Ngong, the chief of staff at Amref Health Africa, also supported the call to allow private facilities to import vaccines. “Private sector can also support research on vaccines and development.”

She also said there is 19 per cent vaccine hesitancy among community health workers.    BY THE STAR