A 🧵 on @Amref_Worldwide solidarity withdrawal from in-person participation at the @H_S_Global conference in #Colombia due to systemic visa/passport discrimination of participants from the Global South Over the past year or so we have seen a pattern of practice which has perpetuated an inequity disadvantage for those from Global South, specifically Africa which at its worst was demonstrated by the #COVID vaccine inequity but also systematically in passport/visa discrimination

Distinguished global citizens, all protocols observed 😄

A close friend and colleague was surprised by my tweet & asked why - I don’t blame her at all and let me explain:

Earlier in 2022, I missed a meeting in London because my visa was delayed for over a month

🧵

https://twitter.com/daktari1/status/1581170810093711360

In September, I almost missed UNGA; my visa appointment for US Embassy in Kenya was April 2024! We had to beg 🙏

A deputy minister of a country in Africa had to use their foreign passport; they couldn’t get a visa on their national passport 😞

Lucky they had dual citizenship

A thread: Why Africa needs ownership of its health security 👇🏾

Despite @AfricaCDC recording 10000 monkeypox cases & 600 deaths in 2 yrs (20/21), @WHO stockpiled vaccines were only mobilised when monkeypox was identified in far fewer cases and no deaths in rich countries in 2022 The 1400 cases & 66 deaths in Africa in this chart are only for 2022! It’s only after going beyond Africa that stockpiled vaccines are being released & a Public Health Emergency being considered - note no death has been recorded outside Africa yet - we pray none occurs!

Spent time in Kibra, Nairobi today attending a vaccination outreach by @AmrefUniversity students & @MOH_Kenya

1. The challenge is not hesitancy - it’s lack of Access.

2. We don’t call a woman who delivers at home because of absence of skilled delivery ‘hesitant’ Behind this tent, there is a well equipped Health centre that vaccinates 9-5pm Monday to Friday and only manages 30 vaccinations per day.

Yet this outreach has vaccinated 300 people in 6 hours from the same neighbourhood - old and young!

To all of us in the health sector, I pray we manage PATIENTS/PEOPLE not #COVID19 🙏🏾 To the President, the tragedy, SIR,will not be in how many got infected but in how many lost their lives UNCOUNTED as we COUNTED 😔YES to #primarycare capacity - #NotLockdown @StateHouseKenya 1. Information and patient management guidelines and health workers support starting at the lowest health facility upwards #NotLockdown @MOH_Kenya

This has been ‘trending’ on WhatsApp groups and I thought its good I put it out there that yes my opinion is that we need to realize the time it will take to go back to normal life is 4-5 months. #COVID19 @Amref_Worldwide #hibernate I must admit I posted it as a thread on twitter and I have no idea who took it up and created a pdf complete with my photo and a typo (peak not pick!) 🤷🏿‍♂️

Imagine this - Every country has a slow phase which then goes geometric. The slow phase takes about 1 month.

Let me give free advice to ⁦@dailynation⁩ This pandemic is not a short term social disruption but it’s going to take months before our lives go back to normal & start social gatherings. May & June is likely to be the pick with thousands of infected people. Take it slow... And it’s PEAK not PICK as my Resident Editor @JustDes just picked (pun intended) 😔