Emergency healthcare will be top of the agenda at next month’s BRICS Summit. In an effort to reduce their reliance on western powers for healthcare, BRICS leaders will be setting up their own Pharmaceutical Association.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa hit out at the west saying it forced Africa to beg for vaccinations at the height of the Covid- 19 Pandemic.
Each BRICS nation will be home to a pharmaceutical centre, with the first one being set up in South Africa. The goal is to prioritize the health of BRICS citizens and reduce both the costs and the waste associated with the distribution of medication.
The association aims to speed up delivery of medications as well as help African countries improve their pandemic preparedness. Millions of expired vaccines had to be destroyed during the pandemic, because they weren’t stored correctly or delivered fast enough.
During the Pandemic, over 80 000 Covid-19 Vaccines expired, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for their safe disposal. Inga Mzileni reports.
Inga has covered breaking news stories and historical events on two continents: Asia and Africa. She is a true newshound, sniffing out stories and bringing justice and attention to issues that those in powers would often prefer be hidden. She believes journalism is activism.
