President Paul Kagame on Tuesday called on global leaders to invest more and to spend more strategically on public health and primary health care systems as part of the efforts to strengthen the fight against coronavirus. Kagame was speaking at the virtual roundtable of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), co-chaired by former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand. Kagame noted that there is no substitute for effective national health systems. “We have seen this, yet again, in the difficulties some countries have faced in distributing the vaccines they have received,” he said, adding, “The world did indeed mobilise in important ways, to respond to Covid-19. Alongside protectionism, there were also examples of solidarity.” But, he said, it was not enough, given the speed and severity of the disease. Consequently, President Kagame underscored that much as the Pandemic Preparedness Treaty is on the table, it will take time to negotiate, and even longer to come into force. “We need bold action, right away.” First, Kagame noted that the only way to ensure vaccine equity is to produce more vaccines, where they are needed. He shared Rwanda’s example, saying that the government is working with partners to bring the first mRNA manufacturing facility to Africa. “So long as Africa remains dependent on other regions for vaccines, we will always be at the back of the queue, whenever there is scarcity.” In addition, he reiterated that pandemic preparedness is also about prevention, and that requires a greater focus on ecology and climate change. “If we understand why infectious pathogens are increasingly jumping from animals to humans, we can marshal global action to reduce that risk.” According to the statement by the World Health Organisation (WHO), IPPPR is expected to present a report of the current pandemic status during the 74th World Health Assembly in this Month. “We look forward to supporting the Independent Panel’s recommendations when the final report is released.” Among the global leaders who attended the event included Sahle-work Zewde, the of President of Ethiopia, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand among others.
