Following a wave of backlash against two French scientists who suggested that a coronavirus vaccine should be tested in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) stepped in and said that Africa will not be a testing ground for any COVID-19 vaccine trials.
Last week, Jean-Paul Mira, the head of intensive care at the Cochin hospital in Paris, said on live television, “If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we be doing this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation?” He added, “A bit like as it is done elsewhere for some studies on AIDS. In prostitutes, we try things because we know that they are highly exposed and that they do not protect themselves”. His suggestions were backed by Camille Locht, the head of research at the Inserm health research group, who said that a study in Africa was being considered.
This week, the WHO’s director-general, Ethiopia’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, hit back at the two scientists, saying, “Africa cannot and will not be a testing ground for any vaccine.” Ghebreyesus called their “racist” comments a “disgrace” and “appalling”, condemned them “in the strongest terms possible”, and further said that their mindset was a “hangover” of their “colonial mentality”.
On Friday, following intense public scrutiny and criticism, Mira said, “I want to present all my apologies to those who were hurt, shocked and felt insulted by the remarks I clumsily expressed.”
However, it appears that the wheels for the two scientists’ vision have already been set in motion as the Democratic Republic of Congo offered up its citizens for coronavirus vaccine testing. The head of the national biological institute, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, said, “We’ve been chosen to conduct these tests.” Muyembe indicated that clinical trials on citizens could begin in July or August.
Image Source: Voice of America
WHO Says Africa Will Not be Testing Ground for COVID-19 Vaccine, DRC Offers Up Citizens
The Democratic Republic of Congo said it has been “chosen” to conduct vaccine tests.
April 8, 2020
