Happy Africa Day to all.
As we celebrate Arts, Culture and Heritage today, I can only think of how music, poetry, and specifically rich local African languages have played the role of creating awareness and sensitization at a time when the continent has been crippling with the social and economic effects of Covid-19 pandemic. Ubuntu has played a significant role in feeding the less privileged, care homes have provided a house for those evicted and various private sectors in real estate reduced the rent to the low-class citizens.
As we foster the spirit of nationalism, we cannot
forget the role African Union, our own continental umbrella, played by
negotiating for Covid-19 jabs requisition, procuring jabs for African countries
and setting up a joint continental strategy in 2020.
Therefore, as Africa strives to attain a united
Africa, with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values, and
ethics, there is the need to acknowledge Africa's cultural identity in
formulating policies towards the management of pandemics. Thus, governments will have to
coordinate with the local communities/common citizens in formulating African
policies towards slowing the spread of pandemics. In the case of Ebola, non-state actors and governments have involved communities in Guinea and DRC to ensure community's interests are projected in citizen-targeted policies. This approach could be
taken in formulating African-Covid 19 policies where Africa is
characterized by communities rather than nations and traditional medicine
remains a cultural heritage for Africans.
As EU plans to set up a Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing plant
in Ghana and South Africa stops manufacturing Biovac after producing about 1.1
million doses we cannot forget African-made efforts in the fight against the
Pandemic. The eucalyptus leaves steaming in Malawi and Kenya, Concoction in
West and East Africa are some of the African cultural-oriented Covid-19 efforts.
Unfortunately, the challenge of over-reliance on external
funding remains a challenge for those local innovations. It is vital to note that although
Madagascar made strides in producing an African-made in Africa vaccine with ECOWAS
considering its use, efforts died before its uptake continentally. Furthermore,
despite Egypt, Senegal, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia having the
capability to produce the vaccine, none has produced yet.
However, besides the derailing for vaccine innovation In Africa, we acknowledge the local innovations; ‘Doctor Car’ robot in Senegal, automatic hand washing machine and ventilator in Kenya, solar-powered hand-washing sink in Ghana, police robots in the streets of Tunisia, socially distancing haircuts in Ethiopia and autonomous drones delivering medical supplies and the respire-19 portable ventilator in Nigeria in Nigeria.
HAPPY AFRICA DAY TO AFRICA
