WHO rejects using Africa as testing ground for coronavirus vaccine
Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation, has dismissed as “racist” a suggestion by two French scientists that the coronavirus vaccine should be tested in Africa.
Science professors, Jean-Paul Mira of Cochin Hospital in Paris and Camille Locht of Inserm, France’s national medical research centre, appeared on French television LCI on April 2 to debate potentials for COVID-19 cures.
Mr Mira wondered if he “may be provocative, should this study not be done in Africa?” Mr Locht then replied: “You are right. We are currently thinking similarly about a study in Africa regarding the BCG vaccine. There is a proposal that has gone out — or will. We will seriously consider it.”
Their statement elicited immediate backlash on social media, with top sports celebrities like Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o describing it as unbelievably shocking and provocative.
