TY - JOUR
AU - Kunyenje, Chifundo Annessia
AU - Chirwa, Gowokani Chijere
AU - Mboma, Sebastian M.
AU - Ng'ambi, Wingston
AU - Mnjowe, Emmanuel
AU - Nkhoma, Dominic
AU - Ngwira, Lucky Gift
AU - Chawani, Marlen Stacey
AU - Chilima, Ben
AU - Mitambo, Collins
AU - Crampin, Amelia
AU - Mfutso-Bengo, Joseph
PY - 2023
DA - March
TI - COVID-19 vaccine inequity in African low-income countries
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
VL - 11
DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1087662
AB - Equitable access and utilization of the COVID-19 vaccine is the main exit strategy from the pandemic. This paper used proceedings from the Second Extraordinary Think-Tank conference, which was held by the Health Economics and Policy Unit at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in collaboration with the Malawi Ministry of Health, complemented by a review of literature. We found disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among low-income countries. This is also the case among high income countries. The disparities are driven mainly by insufficient supply, inequitable distribution, limited production of the vaccine in low-income countries, weak health systems, high vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine misconceptions. COVID-19 vaccine inequity continues to affect the entire world with the ongoing risks of emergence of new COVID-19 variants, increased morbidity and mortality and social and economic disruptions. In order to reduce the COVID-19 vaccination inequality in low-income countries, there is need to expand COVAX facility, waive intellectual property rights, transform knowledge and technology acquired into vaccines, and conduct mass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.
PB - Frontiers Media
UR - https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/368171/
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
KW - Health inequalities
KW - Immunisation and screening
ER