Thread by @udnore

Out today: Our new @TheLancet analysis of #ethics & #politics of #access to #testing #PPE & #Covid19 treatment. We must act now so to ensure that geopolitically powerful countries apply ethical standards & coordinate their procurement to access for #LMICs thelancet.com/journals/lance…

Many #African health systems lack capacity to respond if #COVID19 outbreaks get out of control. So #testing & #tracing are particularly vital.

Unfortunately, testing supplies are increasingly scarce, as #NorthAmerican & #European countries snap up everything on the market.

This mirrors failures in the #AIDS response—when testing & treatment came to #Africa years after it arrived in #US & #Europe, and long after the #pandemic had taken hold. This resulted in tens of millions of unnecessary deaths. @chidodc @DrWilfredoM @RenzoGuinto @paimadhu

We call on 1) #African countries to invest in scaling up regional production of #tests 2) @_AfricanUnion, @AfricaCDC to be supported to pool procurement for African countries & 3) Wealthy countries to immediately increase funding for African responses in weeks, not months. (End)