Speaking in Dakar, the capital of West African country Senegal, on his first visit to the continent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Guterres said: “when considering the socio-economic situation, it is impossible not to mention the war in Ukraine and its impact on Africa.”

The UN chief made the remarks after meeting the country’s President, Macky Sall, who said the war in Ukraine was “a human tragedy” that can have “a dramatic impact on economies, especially those of developing countries”.

Conflict in Ukraine drives up global food and fuel prices; Senior UN officials fear rising costs could push more people to hunger and lead to political instability and social unrest in parts of Africa, where food prices have risen a third since last year.

Before the start of the Russian invasion in February, the combination of climate change, conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic was already impacting the socio-economic situation in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region which includes the Senegal.

Vaccine Equity and Sovereignty

Earlier, Mr. Guterres and President Sall had visited a new high-tech vaccine production facility, currently under construction by the Institut Pasteur in Dakar. When completed, it will be able to produce a range of vaccines, including Pfizer-BioNTech, one of the most widely used vaccines against COVID-19. It will also be able to manufacture experimental vaccines against malaria and tuberculosis.

Speaking at the end of World Immunization Week, Mr Guterres said there was a need to “build real vaccine equity across the world”, and that he was “unacceptable” that almost 80% of Africans are not vaccinated against COVID-19; a situation he described as “moral failure.”

President Macky Sall has called for pharmaceutical sovereignty by supporting the emergence of an African pharmaceutical industry capable of meeting basic needs and coping with pandemics.

As part of the COVID-19 recovery plan, Senegal is strengthening its drug manufacturing sector. The vaccination facility is expected to produce at least 50% of the country’s needs.

UN News/Daniel Dickinson

The vaccine production facility in Dakar, Senegal will manufacture COVID-19 and other vaccines.

Mr. Guterres added that the world “wealthier countries and pharmaceutical companies should accelerate vaccine donation and invest in local production», of the type observed at the Institut Pasteur.

Response to the global crisis

The increased investment is part of a global strategy to support developing countries facing what the UN has called “cascading crises”. In March 2022, the UN chief created the The Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG) created in response to the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraineclaiming that the invasion was producing alarming effects on a global economy already strained by COVID-19 and climate change.

President Macky Sall is one of six prominent world leaders who have been named champions of the group and who support the Secretary-General’s call for immediate action to prevent, mitigate and respond to the crisis. He is also the chairperson of the African Union for 2022.

The GCRG calls on countries to find creative ways to finance the world’s growing humanitarian and development needs and to donate generously and immediately the funds they have already pledged.

Food, energy and finance

Speaking to reporters in Dakar, Mr Guterres said “we must ensure a steady flow of food and energy into open markets, removing all unnecessary export restrictions”, adding that “countries must resist the temptation to hoard and instead release strategic energy stocks.”

The UN estimates that a quarter of a billion people could be pushed into extreme poverty this year, due to the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine. International financial institutions have a key role to play and “must urgently provide debt relief by increasing liquidity and fiscal space”, the UN chief said, “so that governments can avoid the default and invest in social safety nets and sustainable development for their people”.