Health
Why Russia’s Vaccine Diplomacy Failed Africa
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
In these difficult and crucial times, the strategic partnership with Africa has become a priority of Russia’s foreign policy, declared Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister.
The difficult times understandably refer to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the current period when Russia’s own “special military operation” in Ukraine has shattered the global economy.
But why is Russia very quiet over its vaccine diplomacy in Africa? What have Russia-African Union relations brought to the health sector in Africa? Why Russia’s vaccine diplomacy could arguably be described as a failure for vulnerable groups and vaccinable people among the 1.3 billion population.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) estimated approximately 28 per cent of the entire African population was vaccinated over the past two years. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and a few African leaders have vehemently accused European and Western countries with advanced pharmaceutical technologies of hoarding COVID-19 vaccines.
Russia was the first advanced country that came out with Sputnik V in August 2020, in fact, less than a year when coronavirus was declared an epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). But Sputnik V has never been approved by the WHO primarily because of a lack of transparency of Russian laboratories in addition to the fact that it was approved before going into compulsory phase III clinical trials, breached relevant international protocols and ruined its reputation from the outset, and further in Russia as demonstrated by a high degree of vaccine hesitancy.
The Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. It was later registered under the emergency use authorization procedure, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) website.
The RDIF is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. The Kremlin offered this agency the full-fledged task of managing and directing all aspects of COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution.
The RDIF has made a substantial contribution to developing and marketing Sputnik V, the first registered COVID-19 vaccine, in the world. Sputnik V was heavily promoted via a professional international marketing campaign and Russia obtained commercial contracts for close to 800 million doses of Sputnik V. Russia has only delivered 108 million doses, i.e. less than 15%.
In the first place, Sputnik V has little impact in Africa. Second, there is no African country manufacturing Sputnik V so far. In fact, Russia signed manufacturing agreements with no less than 23 countries to produce Sputnik V. However, only a few countries actually started production due to delays in the supply of raw materials. As one of very few countries, Russia stayed completely outside the COVAX Facility and it played no significant role in vaccine donations.
Holding the heck of the bumpy road during the pandemic period, Russia made progressive steps, resembling a substantial breakthrough to save human extinction. It swiftly registered the vaccine in many countries and often promised to establish manufacturing points in a number of countries, including Africa. But in critical assessment, we cannot skip the messy description, from various points of view, that Russia’s vaccine diplomacy has failed Africa. Certainly, that was the case with Russia’s diplomacy in Africa.
President Vladimir Putin has oftentimes praised the entire healthcare system, and particularly the hard-working team of scientists and specialists from different institutions for their efforts at research and creating a series of vaccines for use against the coronavirus both at home and abroad.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry reports indicated that the Sputnik V vaccine was registered in the following African countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tunisia, the Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe.
However, the majority of African countries where Sputnik V was registered could not get supplies to purchase as promised. Admittedly, Russia faces vaccine production challenges to meet the increasing market demand and to make prompt delivery on its pledges to external countries.
Russia’s drive to share the Sputnik V vaccine offers a chance to raise its image and strengthen alliances in Africa. It has made some vaccine deliveries by sprinkling a few thousands, but only to its preferred countries including North Africa (Algeria Morocco and Egypt), East Africa (Ethiopia), Southern Africa (Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and West Africa (Guinea). Media reports say, South Africa, a member of the BRICS group, categorically rejected the Sputnik V donation from Russia.
Furthermore, an official media release in mid-February 2021 said that the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team – set up by the African Union (AU) to acquire additional vaccine doses so that Africa could attain a target immunization of 60% – received an offer of 300 million Sputnik V vaccines from the Russian Federation. It was described as a “special offer” from Russia. In the end, Russia never delivered the 300 million vaccines as contracted.
In the Situation Analytical Report on Russia-Africa, compiled by 25 Russian policy experts, headed by Sergei A. Karaganov, Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and was released in November 2021, pointed to Russia’s consistent failure in honoring its several pledges over the years. That report vividly highlighted contracts to supply Russian-made vaccines to Africa that were not fulfilled through the African Union. “Having concluded contracts for the supply of Sputnik V to a number of African states, Russian suppliers failed to meet its contractual obligations,” says the report.
Another report also compared Russia’s vaccine diplomacy with Europe, China and other external countries: (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/vaccinating-world-between-promises-and-realities_en). The report says one and a half years after the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the European Union (EU) can be proud of what it has achieved to help vaccinate the world, and in particular low- and middle-income countries. The EU’s record stands in contrast to what China and Russia did beyond the bluster of their noisy “vaccine diplomacy” during these years.
In 2021, the subject was not only dominating the headlines but also at the centre of international relations, with major powers, in particular China and Russia, conducting active vaccine diplomacy to extend their global influence by promising to provide vaccines to the world. From the outset, the EU had chosen to act in a multilateral framework, by supporting the COVAX facility launched by the WHO to jointly purchase and supply vaccines to low and middle-income countries.
The report says, based on data collected by the multilateral institutions, the EU has actually been by far the largest exporter of vaccines in the world. With 2.2 billion doses supplied to 167 countries, we exported almost twice as many vaccines as China, three times as much as the United States and 20 times as much as Russia.
Of these 2.2 billion exported doses, 475 million were donated to 104 countries, of which 405 million via COVAX and 70 million bilaterally, particularly in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership. In terms of donations, the United States did slightly more than the EU, with 542 million doses donated to 117 countries. But the EU has actually donated far more vaccines than China – with just 130 million to 95 countries – and Russia – with only 1.5 million doses to 19 countries.
The EU has not only exported and donated vaccines but also helped to develop vaccine production in Africa: last year, the EU with its member states and financial institutions committed over one billion euros to finance this development.
By 2040, the African Union wants that 60% of the vaccines used on the continent are manufactured in Africa and the EU fully supports that goal. This year already, two factories will be installed in Rwanda and Senegal and commercial production is set to begin in 2023. Close cooperation is also ongoing with South Africa’s Biovac Institute and partners in Ghana.
In these difficult and crucial times, Russian vaccine diplomacy has been a total failure and this was already the case before its “special military operation” in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine. In short, the vaccine diplomacy of these two countries, Russia and China, can be summarized as “great expectations – broken promises.”
The EU has a lot to be proud of, not only did it manage to vaccinate its own population against Covid-19 in a short period of time, but it has also been the world’s largest exporter of vaccines and the second largest donor to low- and middle-income countries. The EU has accomplished much more in this area than China and Russia together. Building on this solid track record, the EU will continue to support access to vaccines worldwide, particularly by helping with vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
About 10,000 primary school pupils have been enrolled by the Oyo State government for its healthcare insurance programme as part of efforts towards ensuring the children are of sound minds.
The beneficiaries were chosen from 90 schools across 18 local government areas of the state, and were presented their insurance scheme ID cards on Thursday at the Ibadan Civic Centre, Idi-ape, Ibadan, by the Deputy Governor, Mr Bayo Lawal.
He applauded the partnership and collaboration between the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB) in providing healthcare opportunities to public school children in the state.
“This scheme will ensure that our children have sound minds, while they learn in conducive environments.
“This event is a collective effort in securing a brighter future of Oyo State pupils,” the deputy governor said.
Mr Lawal also charged OYSHIA to double its efforts in extending the scheme to every school in the State, urging parents and guardians to key into the scheme.
In her goodwill message, the Chief of UNICEF in the Lagos Field Office, Ms Celine Lafoucriere, noted that the launch of the Oyo State Public Primary School Pupils Health Insurance Scheme would give access to affordable, quality healthcare; a fundamental right for every child.
“This initiative reinforces our collective commitment to universal health coverage, ensuring that no child faces financial obstacles to accessing healthcare.
“Universal health coverage is more than a healthcare goal—it’s a social and economic necessity. When children have access to healthcare, they can focus on education, grow into productive adults, break the cycle of poverty, and contribute to the success of Oyo State and Nigeria.
“This scheme exemplifies this by focusing on public primary school children, especially in hard-to-reach areas. With 90 schools already enrolled across 18 LGAs, our goal is to ensure all 33 LGAs in Oyo state are covered, leaving no child behind.
“UNICEF remains steadfast in supporting the government and communities toward universal health coverage,” she stated.
On her part, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, applauded OYSHIA and OYOSUBEB for their commitment towards healthy basic school pupils, assuring them of her Ministry’s unparalleled commitment to the scheme.
Also speaking, the Chairman of OYOSUBEB, Mr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, applauded OYSHIA, pledging the board’s commitment to the smooth take-off and sustainability of the scheme.
“At OYOSUBEB, we operate on the principle of taking care of the pupils under our care as though they are ours,” he said, adding that the scheme would enable the beneficiaries to receive quality healthcare without paying exorbitantly to access it.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of OYSHIA, Dr Olusola Akande, said the new door being opened today, is focusing on providing access to healthcare for 10,000 public primary school pupils in the first instance, noting that the agency will also commence an enrolment of additional 5,500 pupils into the scheme from next week.
He praised UNICEF, through whose support the agency has been able to improve on its awareness campaign and increased the communities under the Community Based Health Insurance scheme by 100 per cent.
He equally stressed the unparalleled commitment of SUBEB chairman to the scheme, stating, “His open door policy and unrestricted access ensured we were able to keep to our timeline.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
A venture capital fund focused on consumer health startups that are reshaping the future of healthcare, naturalX Health Ventures has announced a €100 million fund to accelerate this revolution in Europe.
This makes the fund the first specialized fund focused exclusively on the intersection of consumer and health in the European market.
The fund will focus primarily on Series-A investments while remaining flexible to participate in late Seed and Series-B rounds. Typical first investments range from €3-5 million, with up to €10 million available per company.
To companies, naturalX can act as either lead investor or co-investor, targeting consumer health startups across Europe with selected investments in North America.
naturalX was founded by Mr Marvin Amberg, a German serial entrepreneur with experience launching consumer and health startups, in cooperation with Schwabe Group, a global leader in plant-based pharmaceuticals. The fund defines consumer health as the intersection of wellness and medicine, where science-backed products and services put the consumer in focus.
During its 18-month ramp-up phase, naturalX has already made several investments, including mybacs, Flow Neuroscience, Kyan Health, and Meela, while also investing in healthcare-focused VC funds to build a strong ecosystem around their thesis.
Speaking on the development, the founder of the firm, Mr Marvin Amberh “I am very excited to double down on our thesis with the official launch of naturalX. The consumer health space has been overlooked by investors.”
“We see an inflection point in Europe now, as consumers are finally taking more charge of their own health. Startups in the space need a partner with a shared vision,” he added.
The fund’s launch comes at a pivotal moment in consumer health after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated consumers focus on proactive health management, further boosted by easier access to data through technology, including AI.
naturalX targets solutions across proactive health, including sleep, gut health, prevention, and longevity. The fund also places special emphasis on mental health, recognizing the growing need for consumer-centric therapeutic solutions in this underserved area.
The investment strategy bridges Schwabe Group’s deep pharmaceutical expertise with modern digital health innovation.
“We analysed the US health market and in many successful startups, the consumer is already at the centre. Our thesis is that this is just the beginning, and the European market will develop in a similar pattern. While we start to see some examples of consumer-focused healthcare companies in Europe reaching meaningful scale and significant funding, such as Oura or Neko Health, we think this market deserves more attention,” added Mr Amberg.
“naturalX led our Series-A round and has been an exceptional partner, bringing not only capital but also invaluable knowledge of the nutritional supplement and broader consumer health market. Their pragmatic, fast decision-making allows us to focus on growing our business,” said Mr Carl-Philipp von Polheim, Founder of mybacs, a leading DTC probiotic subscription startup.
“At Kyan Health, we are dedicated to proactive mental health management—empowering individuals before issues escalate. naturalX shares this vision, recognizing that prevention is key to lasting impact. Their deep expertise and strategic approach make them an ideal partner in driving meaningful change for millions,” said Mr Vlad Gheorghiu, Founder of Kyan Health, a leading mental health platform for employees.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Some medical items worth about N1.6 billion have been donated by MultiChoice Nigeria to the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) located in Lagos.
The medical supplies were given by the leading pay TV provider as part of its commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the country.
This initiative underscores the dedication of MultiChoice, which operates the popular DStv and GOtv, to making a meaningful impact through strategic partnerships that address critical healthcare challenges and enriching lives of vulnerable populations across Africa.
“We remain dedicated to improving the well-being of our communities through strategic interventions that create a lasting impact.
“The Sickle Cell Foundation plays a crucial role in advancing healthcare for individuals living with sickle cell disorder, and we are proud to support their important mission with this donation,” the chief executive of MultiChoice West Africa, Mr John Ugbe, said.
It was gathered that the vital medical items donated included personal protective equipment (PPE) isolation gowns, test kits, and medical infrared thermometers.
They are aimed at supporting the foundation’s ongoing efforts to provide healthcare services to individuals living with sickle cell disorder and enhancing preparedness for medical emergencies across their nationwide partner hospital network.
The chief executive of SCFN, Dr Annette Akinsete, while receiving the items, commended MultiChoice for its continued support to the organisation.
“On behalf of the foundation, I appreciate MultiChoice for this gesture. This is a big deal to us. MultiChoice has always been a huge supporter of the Foundation, and we appreciate what you have done and are still doing.
“A bulk of these items will go to Massey Street Children’s Hospital and some will be sent to our partner hospitals across the country,” the medical practitioner said.
Recall that in 2009, MultiChoice Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SCFN. It has continued to support the foundation through various interventions including donation of vehicles, partnership on counselling workshops, fundraising and broadcast of awareness documentaries on key facts about sickle cell disease on its DStv and GOtv platforms.
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