Chairperson of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) Deputy President David Mabuza has called for collaborative platforms for intra-Africa scientific development.
He was addressing the opening ceremony of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, in Durban.
Referring to the discovery of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron by South African scientists, Mabuza called for greater global solidarity for the common good.
“Our scientific prowess as Africa is proven that is why our scientists were able to detect and sequence the genome of the Omicron variant and its mutations with precision. As African countries we have always understood that in this world we are interdependent and no one is safe until everyone is safe,” says Mabuza.
Opening of the International Aids Conference: 06 December 2021
Meanwhile, Health Minister Joe Phaahla has urged people to vaccinate against COVID-19, saying that the pandemic should not further undermine gains made against HIV/AIDS.
“Just under 26.5 million doses have been administered. And over 17 million individuals have had at least one jab of either of the two vaccines. Of the adult population, just a little under 43% are currently covered. We’re still hopeful we can reach our 70% of adults by the end of December because we indeed do have the capacity,” says Phaahla.
Acting President & Co-Chair of SANAC HE Hon David Mabuza #ICASA2021 pic.twitter.com/1M4qrV6LbD
— SANAC (@SA_AIDSCOUNCIL) December 6, 2021
