Solidarity with African countries essential: China Daily editorial

As far as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social and economic development is concerned, developing countries, the least developed ones in particular, have suffered the most. While the vaccination programs being rapidly carried out in developed countries are enabling them to restart their economies, their developing counterparts in Africa are still struggling for vaccines.

The World Health Organization has already sent 70 million vaccine doses to 125 countries and economies, but this only meets the needs of 1 percent of their combined populations.

It is obvious that a helping hand from the developed countries and vaccine manufacturers is urgently needed.

The WHO has encouraged more countries to donate vaccines and called on vaccine manufacturers to give the COVAX facility priority to purchase their vaccines or supply the COVAX with 50 percent of the vaccines they manufacture this year.

It is also necessary to share with African countries testing agents, therapies and other technologies for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. If possible, efforts need to be made for vaccines to be manufactured in African countries, which will tremendously facilitate the global fight against the pandemic.

China joined the COVAX in October 2020 and has already donated 10 million doses of vaccines to the program for the urgent need of developing countries. With the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm now on the WHO list for emergency use, the country's cooperation with the COVAX will be furthered to the benefit of developing countries.

China is also doing what it can within its means to increase its capacity to manufacture vaccines, which will enable it to provide more vaccines for other developing countries.

That China's Sinovac Biotech is cooperating with Egypt to manufacture vaccines in Egypt points to the fact that China is assisting African countries on all fronts in their fights against the pandemic.

It is narrow-minded political bias and ideological differences that stand in the way of the global fight against the pandemic. The global solidarity that the world urgently needs to effectively bring the virus under control worldwide should be put before anything.

The developed countries need to display a broader vision in the fight against the pandemic. Solidarity with African countries is not just in the interests of African countries, but also in the interests of the global economy.

Only when the pandemic is brought under control globally will it be possible for the world economy to return to the right track of normal growth.

It is hoped that developed countries will realize that extending a helping hand to African countries would make a huge difference in their fights against the virus.