Of recent, I was asked while appearing on some TV show about the way out of this COVID19 pandemic and most especially the resumption of education activities. The answer is very obvious; vaccination. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that $50 billion is needed to ensure that everyone on planet earth is vaccinated against the COVID19 pandemic. And by vaccinating the entire planet, of course, we would accomplish an economic and social optimal outcome. New variants wouldn’t emerge. Vaccine resistance wouldn’t set in. Covid19 would be eradicated and become a thing of the past — instead of hitting the tipping point of becoming an endemic seasonal disease and the dreaded lockdowns would be history.
The IMF estimates that investing $50 billion into global vaccination campaign will save the world about $9 trillion- about a fifth of the global economy and this is a very conservative estimate. Some economists have argued that the truer number is far higher than $9 trillion and they have capped it at around $30 trillion. It goes without saying that it makes very big economic sense to end this pandemic even for the richer countries that are participating in vaccine hoarding and denying patents and IP Waivers to the poorer countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia etc. For example, the International Monetary Fund has projected that were we to vaccinate 40% of the global population in 2021 and 60% in early 2022, the pandemic would be history by the end of next week. An end to the pandemic would ensure that the richer and developed countries reap a 40% increase in GDP gains as well as a 1 trillion dollar in additional tax revenues.
For Uganda, full vaccination would mean that the over 15 million learners whose education has been interrupted for the last 18 months finally have a chance to continue school and of course this comes with a multiple effect advantage; school teachers, cooks, suppliers of food and learning materials, security guards etc have a shot at economic survival once again. It would mean a resumption to our normal lives; full taxis and buses, open sports centres, a lively Kikuubo and of course, the comic voices of Taxi Conductors calling out for passengers. Haven’t we missed these Taxi touts?
But for us to return to normal, we have to defeat this pandemic. Now that we have a scientific miracle- a vaccine produced in less than a year, it is time to advocate for vaccine equity. Vaccine supply and distribution should not be a preserve of the “Big Pharma”. The rich countries should avail vaccine and vaccine production technologies to the poorer countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa so that they are able to produce their vaccines and vaccinate their people. It goes without saying that successfully vaccinating our people is equally contingent on us effectively unmasking the myths and conspiracy theories on vaccination.
Scientific research has shown that the COVID19 vaccines are effective and they work. It is the duty of each of us to go and “spread the good news” that there are vaccines and they enhance our protection against the COVID19 virus. The recently concluded National Dialogue on the Future of Education and Children convened by World Vision, UNICEF, Save the Children, OXFAM, Education Advocacy with A Difference (EAWAD) Platform and other partners, inter alia, underscored the need for vaccination as a foundation for education continuity and return to normal. It called for a mass teacher vaccination campaign and several actions by state and non state actors that buttress the global push to end the COVID19 pandemic; that push has vaccination as its bloodline.
Let’s go out and receive the jab!
Mubangizi Prosper 