The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said no Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will be allowed to be tested in Africa or on any Africans.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is Director-General of the health agency, revealed this during a media briefing on Monday.
The director opposed the statement credited to two French doctors, Jean Paul Mira and Camille Locht, who said that the coronavirus vaccine be tested in Africa.
Dr. Ghebreyesus described the statement as “racist”, a hangover of “colonial mentality” and a “disgrace” on scholars in the 21st century.
He said that, “Africa can’t and won’t be a testing ground for any vaccine. We will follow all the rules to test any vaccine or therapeutics all over the world using exactly the same rule, whether it is in Europe, Africa or wherever, we will use the same protocol.”
He also added that, “It was a disgrace and also appalling to hear such remarks from scientists this 21st Century.”
“We condemn this in the strongest terms possible, and we assure you that this will not happen,” he concluded.