Africa needs to build citizens confidence in vaccine science to debunk misinformation, disinformation and myths associated with Covid-19.

During a sensitisation forum for journalists from Western Kenya in Kisumu, Aga Khan Graduate School of Media & Communication lecturers noted that with the correct information, citizens can make the right choices.

Prof Obi Obiero Odhiambo and Dr James Ndonye held a discourse touching on Covid-19. The programme is sponsored by the German Finance Corporation and Aga Khan University.

It is running concurrently in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

“We will do outreach programmes in schools, churches, universities and middle level colleges. This is followed the revelation that only 53 per cent presented themselves to get the Covid jab while 47 per cent others kept off for various reasons,” he explained.

Ndonye revealed that Aga Khan University is currently developing a blueprint for the government to prepare for a future response in case of another round of Covid-19 wave.

He said it is a nightmare trying to access data on the pandemic from the local health system.

Obiero said Kenya’s health information system is very weak.

He decried the low doctor-patients ratio, a situation that he attributed to persistent brain drain.

Health stakeholders blamed poor remuneration for doctors, clinicians and nurses.

In relation to Health financing, Obiero said most African countries perform dismally, yet the Abuja Declaration required each country to allocate five per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to health.

“Ironically, Kenya, which is said to have done well in light of having set aside 1.3 per cent of the budgetary allocation to health against the set standard of five per cent, and other countries in the continent are all below one per cent,” said the don.