Foundation Calls for Proactive Efforts against COVID-19

By Rebecca Ejifoma

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has urged global leaders to promote greater international cooperation that would guarantee proactive action to vaccinate the world against COVID-19.

This call was made by the Bureau Chief of AHF Africa, Dr Penninah Lutung, during the Pan African Virtual Panel discussion powered by the foundation.

The bureau chief noted the importance of studying and understanding the mutation and evolution of COVID-19, and the consequent effect on vaccines.

He said: “AHF is transferring know-how learnt from the fight against HIV to the war against COVID-19, urging the world leader to leverage it.”

While hinting on the need for fast vaccination to halt the spread of the new variants of COVID-19, Lutung warned, “If the whole world is not vaccinated, Africa, along with all developing countries, runs the risk of becoming a breeding ground for new variants”.

He also emphasised, “The risk is ever-present”, cautioning that if vaccines are not administered fast enough, new variants of COVID-19 would emerge that would not respond to the vaccines available.

In his suggestion, world leaders must encourage far greater international cooperation as the driving force for ending the pandemic, not continue with politics as usual.

At the webinar, experts also highlighted insights on the synergy of collaboration and a practical guideline of manageable steps world leaders could consider to vaccinate world citizens and halt the spread of COVID-19.