With a number of countries across Southern Africa experiencing a deadly third wave of Covid-19 infections, Amnesty International and 27 other Non-Governmental Organizations are calling on regional leaders, businesses, foreign governments and donors, to ramp up efforts and increase resources to speedily vaccinate as many people as possible.
The organizations are also calling on high income countries and their groupings, including G20 and G7, to ensure that the intellectual property rights do not prevent any country from upholding the right to health.
“A number of countries across Southern Africa, including Namibia, South Africa and Zambia, are currently in the midst of what could be the deadliest wave yet. The lack of vaccines in a region with high levels of poverty and inequality means many people feel they are just waiting to die,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.
“SADC and the international community must work together to accelerate the vaccine rollout and ensure as many people as possible are given lifesaving jabs.”
The World Health Organization has predicted that the third wave of Covid-19 infections currently gripping Southern Africa will likely be the deadliest yet. Countries including South Africa, Namibia and Zambia have been reporting their highest ever rates of new infections in the past few weeks, with South Africa currently averaging 10,000 new cases every day. South Africa has been the epicenter of the pandemic in the SADC region since March 2020. As of 21 June, there have been 1,823,319 infections and 58,702 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the country.
“While rich countries are hoarding vaccines and refusing to waive intellectual property rights, people in Southern Africa have no protection from an increasingly deadly third wave. Access to Covid-19 vaccines should not be determined by where someone lives or how much they earn,”.
“The international community must help SADC leaders scale up the vaccine rollout to their populations. Any further delay will have catastrophic consequences.” said Tiseke Kasambala, Chief of Party, Advancing Rights in Southern Africa Programme, Freedom House.
The organizations are also calling for non-discrimination in vaccine distribution, and for states to ensure that people can access the vaccine regardless of nationality, refugee status or statelessness.
Background
Leaders of the Southern African Development Community met in an extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government in Maputo earlier today to discuss “regional integration, cooperation and development” as the third wave of Covid-19 begins to penetrate the region.
The pandemic has so far killed almost 70,000 people in Southern Africa. Vaccine access remains precarious in the region, given the complexities around affordability, intellectual property rights, preparedness, and the global demand for a limited supply.
The 28 signatories to this Press Release are:
Amnesty International
Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN) - South Africa
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) Southern Africa
Denis Hurley Centre, Durban South Africa
Zambia Civic Education Association - Zambia
Zambian Governance Foundation for Civil Society Zambia
GEARS Initiative Zambia - Zambia
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition - Zimbabwe
Green Institute
Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) - Mozambique
Emang Basadi - Botswana
Transformation Resource Centre - Lesotho
Southern Africa Network Against Corruption - South Africa
Advancing Rights in Southern Africa program at Freedom House Southern Africa
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights - Zimbabwe
Organisation pour le Developpement Intellectuel de Madagascar Madagascar
Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) - Zimbabwe
Africa Human Rights Network Foundation (AHRN) - Tanzania
Maison des Organisations de la Société Civile (MOSC)
Anjouan Comoros
Friends of Angola (FoA) - USA & Angola
Panos Institute Southern Africa Southern Africa
Catholic Commission For Justice and Peace - Lesotho
Federation of Women Lawyers - FIDA
Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) - Namibia
Youth and Society (YAS - Malawi
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) - South Africa
DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights - Botswana
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Amnesty International South Africa’s Media and Communications Officer Genevieve Quintal on +27 64 890 9224 or email genevieve.quintal@amnesty.org.za
