President, ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou says ECOWAS has concluded plans to produce its own COVID-19 vaccines soonest to increase the rate of vaccination of citizens.
He made this known at the ongoing 2021 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament while responding to concerns of Parliamentarians of the state of vaccination.
The ECOWAS Commission had earlier in its report presented to the regional parliamentarians, indicated that only 2% of the citizens in the region had been fully vaccinated.
Expressing worry over the situation, Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Dr. Sidie Tunis said “we are largely at low rates of vaccine and we need to spike the rate. We spoke about 48 million available doses with different initiatives but with Member State on their own at the bilateral stage. So today, the issue is not having the money but it is about availability.”
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Brou said that the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and Health Ministers of Member States were working extensively to ensure that countries in the region do not have to rely on external aid alone for vaccines.
He said the regional body was working with some identified companies in Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana that have the means to produce vaccines with some funding assistance from ECOWAS who will ensure the patency of the vaccines to ascertain its safety.
RN