Home False: Testing ground for a new coronavirus vaccine will be Africa.

False: Testing ground for a new coronavirus vaccine will be Africa.

By: Madhukar PB

April 7 2020

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False: Testing ground for a new coronavirus vaccine will be Africa.

Fact-Check

The Verdict False

The WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus vehemently condemned and refuted this claim.

The WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus vehemently condemned and refuted this claim.The Director-General of the World Health Organisation Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic on April 4, 2020, condemned the comments made by two French scientists who suggested that Africa should be used as a testing ground for a vaccine for the coronavirus. He said that the hangover from a colonial mentality needs to be stopped and the WHO will not stand by such statements. He further stressed that Africa cannot and will not be a testing ground for any vaccine. He said that in a time like this, the world needs solidarity and this kind of a statement goes against that sentiment. He assured that everyone will be treated equally as humans. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.

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