Tanzania’s health minister announced early this month that the country has no intention of procuring vaccines. Catherine Kyobutungi describes how the country’s leaders have gone against the recommendations of scientists and the World Health Organisation. This includes recommending to Tanzanians that they turn to prayer and traditional medicine to protect themselves against COVID-19. She sets out what the implications are – for Tanzania, its neighbours and the world.

Madagascar has also said it won’t be vaccinating its population. Pathology expert Ahmed Kalebi unpacks why the approaches taken by Madagascar and Tanzania present a problem. One is that it creates a breeding ground for the new coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – to mutate into more aggressive variants which current vaccines may not be effective against.

In Ghana, a surge in COVID-19 infections on the back of a new variant of the disease has brought the pandemic back into the headlines. This has led to questions being raised about the country’s readiness to roll out a vaccination programme. Nana Kofi Quakyi looks at the major stumbling blocks facing the president’s stated ambition of ensuring every Ghanaian is vaccinated.