Uganda’s Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine says the French should focus on handling their problems instead making sensational suggestions on coronavirus.
Last week, a French doctor Jean Paul Mira caused a stir after he suggested that a vaccine for the coronavirus be tested in Africa.
“They have enough problems on their hands .We have our own scientists that are studying the interventions and documenting all of them for us to learn .We must build capacity to deal with our challenges and tell the Uganda story because if we don’t no one will,” Diana tweeted on Monday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also hit out the suggestions.
WHO’s regional office for Africa and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have described suggestions made by two the French doctors that a potential vaccine for the coronavirus be tested in Africa as “deeply upsetting” and “unfortunate”. Speaking on French television channel LCI on Wednesday, Mira and Camille Locht said the drug should be tested first in Africa “where there are no masks, no treatment, no intensive care”. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, said on Saturday she was “very surprised” by the “deeply upsetting” comments. “All research including on Covid-19 in this global crisis must be ethical and based on principles,” she said.
