There has been widespread outrage and condemnation after some French Doctors proposed that Vaccines under development should be tested in Africa. Prof. Jean-Paul Mira of the Cochin University Hospital and Dr Camille Locht, Research Director at Inserm.
The pair made the suggestion on Wednesday during an interview on French television channel LCI.
Cameroun international footballer Samuel Eto’o reacting to a video tweet of the French doctors’ interview referred to them as “sons of bitches”
Footballer Didier Drogba has tweeted that “Do not take African people as human guinea pigs,” and warned French doctors’ proposition is a “disgusting” proposal
The #AfricansAreNotLabRats has been trending on Twitter
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, when asked during a coronavirus briefing about the doctor’s suggestion, said “Africa can’t and won’t be a testing ground for any vaccine,” He called it a hangover from the “colonial mentality”.
“It was a disgrace, appalling, to hear during the 21st Century, to hear from scientists, that kind of remark. We condemn this in the strongest terms possible, and we assure you that this will not happen,” he added.
A Moroccan lawyers’ collective said it was going to sue Mira for racial defamation.
An online activist, Buwa Memeh has launched a petition on Change.org for the dismissal of Prof. Mira and Dr Locht. The petition titled “Sack Racist Dr Jean-Paul Mira and Camille Locht Now” has almost surpassed its target of 5000 signatories just hours after publication. Below is the link to the petition
