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The African Development Bank Group has said that the lives of 1.2billiin Africans are at risk on account of dearth of medical facilities in the continent.
President of the Group,Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina,who disclosed at its 56th Annual Meetings,noted that only 51% of public health facilities have basic water and sanitation, and only 31% of healthcare facilities have electricity.
According to him, Africa imports 60-70% of its pharmaceutical drugs.
He proposed an African stability mechanism, modeled on a European one, to act as a firewall against external shocks as well as pledged that the Bank would strengthen support to African countries as they tackle the pandemic’s economic and health impacts.
He added that the Bank would invest heavily in domestic vaccine manufacturing and in Africa’s healthcare system.
He said: “The lives of 1.2 billion people in Africa are at risk… we must give hope to the poor, the vulnerable, by ensuring that every African, regardless of their income level, gets access to quality healthcare, as well as health insurance and social protection.”
Kenneth Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s Finance Minister and Chairperson of the African Development Bank Board of Governors, cautioned at the start of the meetings that Africa risked being left behind as a result of the pandemic and was “staring down the possibility of a lost decade, where its economic trajectory pulls further away from that of the rest of the world.”
He advised the African Development Bank should take a leading role in the continent’s recovery.
“Our bank, distinct in its role, has to be at the center of Africa’s build-back through targeted support to tackle Africa’s development challenges and lay the foundation to respond to future challenges,” Ofori-Atta said.
Hithertho,less than 1% of Africa’s adult population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, even as Africa confronts new variants and fast rising cases while the continent’s health and economic responses are hampered by tightening fiscal constraints.
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