Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The Nigeria COVID-19 summit has stressed the need for Nigeria to galvanise other nations to call for debt relief so that resources can be channelled towards building the national bio-security and ensuring Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The summit also called for improved partnership in primary healthcare delivery and vaccination uptake, strengthening the collaboration between national and sub-national entities, and pursuing the "One Health" Strategy and the requirements under the International Health Regulation. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also called on stakeholders across blocs to support the cause. The World Bank and IMF have warned that poor vaccination in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) is a major obstacle to the recovery of the sub-Saharan African economy, and that the emergence of the Omicron variant has global implications. The global community has been debating patent-free COVID-19 vaccines and the need to democratise the process to allow African countries to produce vaccines to catch up with the rest of the world.