Two former African football stars, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba and Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o have rejected calls for covid-19 experimental vaccines to be tested first in Africa.
There was anger among the black population in France after two doctors on live television pushed for Africa to be the first place where coronavirus treatments be tested.
The doctors agree that Africa has less face masks and other essential health supplies and required treatment for coronavirus patients but still pushed for the continent to be used for the experimental treatment of any potential vaccine, treatment or cure.
On a local TV channel LCI, one of the doctors named as Dr Jean-Paul Mira said “If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we do this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatment, no resuscitation, a bit like it has been done in some studies in AIDS, where among prostitutes, we try things, because they are exposed, and they don’t protect themselves, what do you think?”
The other doctor also named as Dr Camille Locht joined the conversation saying “So you are right[…]we’re thinking in parallel to a study in Africa precisely to make this same type of approach w/ BCG [vaccine]placebo.
Didier Drodga reacted angrily to the call saying “It is totally inconceivable we keep on cautioning this. Africa isn’t a testing lab.
I would like to vividly denounce those demeaning, false and most of all deeply racists words. Helps us save Africa with the current ongoing Covid 19 and flatten the curve.”
He adds that “Let us save ourselves from this crazy virus that is plummeting the world economy and ravaging populations health worldwide.
Do not take African people as human guinnea pigs! It’s absolutely disgusting…African leaders have a responsibility to protect their populations from those horrendous conspiracies.”
It is totally inconceivable we keep on cautioning this.
Africa isn’t a testing lab.
I would like to vividly denounce those demeaning, false and most of all deeply racists words.Helps us save Africa with the current ongoing Covid 19 and flatten the curve. pic.twitter.com/41GIpXaIYv
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) April 2, 2020
Eto’o also reacted calling the doctors “assassins” as he condemns the development.
So far there is no cure for the deadly virus but scientists around the world are still working on a potential vaccine.
There are no experimental vaccines yet for usage as the world is still months behind a potential vaccine.
Globally at least one million people have been infected by the virus with over 50,000 deaths so far as at April 3, 2020.
Africa has so far recorded over 7,000 cases with over 200 deaths as at April 3, 2020. The continent is still the least affected by the pandemic.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
