A collaboration between two leading biotech companies, the South Africa-based Afrigen and the Belgium-based Univercells will work together to develop a novel regional mRNA vaccine. The companies intend to confront the lack of local cost-effective production and the need for cold or super-cold chains that have hampered vaccination thus far.
Corona Virus
Politics and Society Making COVID vaccines in Africa: advances and sustainability issues
Before the COVID pandemic, efforts to address the challenge of limited vaccine production on the continent yielded little success.
Politics and Society Africa faces hard knocks as rich countries take manufacturing back home
Companies are moving their production back to developed countries. This is jeopardising the decades-long progress in global poverty reduction.
Politics and Society COVID: a two-year journey through lockdowns, lives lost and life-saving research
A highlight of this pandemic is how quickly effective vaccines were developed and rolled out.
Politics and Society COVID-19, Two years after
COVID-19’s two year anniversary has been eclipsed by a European war, but the devastating effects of the pandemic are glaring. From strained relationships, loss, painful break-ups to the creation of a new class of nouveaux riche, referred to in Kenya as “COVID-19 billionaires”, the pandemic has had a far-reaching impact. Dauti Kahura reflects.
Politics and Society Cartoon | Not out of the woods
In this week’s cartoon we reflect on the two years since the Coronavirus and COVID-19 were declared a global public health emergency.
Politics and Society Continued vaccine apartheid brought to you by the usual suspects as EU set to throw away 55 million Covid vaccines
The EU has blocked proposals by the AU that would allow the generic production of COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments and is now set to throw away 55 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines that could have been donated.
Politics and Society The hunt for coronavirus variants: how the new one was found and what we know so far
There’s a new COVID lineage called B.1.1.529. It has a genetic profile very different from other circulating variants.
Politics and Society Omicron is the new COVID kid on the block: five steps to avoid, ten to take immediately
The world needs to learn to live with the virus. And governments must follow the science and don’t distort it for political expediency.