Scientists urge sub-Saharan states to invest in new vaccines
A dose of the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. The Covid-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for African countries to strengthen disease surveillance and create adequate stockpiles of critical health commodities. PHOTO | AFP
Sub-Saharan African nations should intensify surveillance and invest in new vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to curb the growing threat of infectious diseases, scientists said at the just-concluded 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend held in Nairobi.
Tom Kariuki, executive director of the Science for Africa Foundation, a Nairobi-based lobby that advances science and innovations, emphasised the importance of enhanced preparedness in averting disruption of public health systems during disease outbreaks.
