Facilitated by Mzamo Zondi – Treatment Action Campaign and Philisiwe Mazibuko Right2Know CampaignThe global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out is creating a “vaccine apartheid”. As of February 24, approximately 216 million people had been vaccinated globally. Only 8.4 percent of these are in low and lower-middle-income countries, which make up nearly half of the world’s population.[1]
In South Africa there has been conflict between government and civil society together with the scientific community over the absence of a clear strategy to roll out Covid-19 vaccines. The role of civil society is critical in this roll out: it needs principled, independent, informed activism that mobilises power behind the fact that vaccines are a public good and a human right. Civil society further needs an urgent tooling-up on vaccine literacy and virology, systems for close monitoring of pharmaceutical company profiteering and oversight of regulatory authorities.[2]
This workshop will engage with civil society organisations and activists working to ensure vaccine literacy, a successful vaccine roll out and equity in access to vaccines.
Date: Wednesday 21 April 2021
Time: 10:00-12:00
Online Platform: Zoom
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://ukzn.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMocOCopjkqGNK0r9GYAe9dGI6vaVAs28DF
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Attendance is open to activists and civil society organisations
Queries: Melanie Reddy: Reddys2@ukzn.ac.za / 031 2603195
 
The Vaccine Roll Out Strategy in South Africa
What is the roll out strategy and what have been some of the challenges in its implementation?
Cathy Kodiemoka – Human Rights Institute of South Africa
Lucas Ngoetjana – KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council
Vaccine Acceptance
What are the various challenges around vaccine acceptance, literacy and misinformation?
Ngazini Ngidi – Right2Know Campaign
Vaccine Equity
How will equitable distribution of the vaccine be facilitated to make sure those who typically struggle to access health and live in poor socioeconomic conditions receive the vaccine?
Nomfundo Mkhaba – Waste for Change
Tinashe Njanji – Peoples Health Movement South Africa
Speaker Bios
 
Cathy Elando Kodiemoka is the Gender Campaign and Advocacy Officer at the Human Rights Institute (HURISA) of South Africa. She has been building HURISA’s niche in protecting the rights of women. In particular, to claim their rights safeguarded in national frameworks, such as the constitution, legislation, regional and international human rights instruments ratified by South Africa
Nomfundo Mkhaba is based in Roseneath on the South Coast of Durban. She is a qualified teacher with a bachelor degree in the intermediate and senior phase. Her focus areas are leadership, environmental sustainability, gender equity and education. In 2019 she co-founded an NPC called Waste for Change executing campaigns in Malundi Township Roseneath Umkomaas. She currently serves as Project Developer at Waste for Change.
Ngazini Ngidi is a registered professional nurse working at the Prince Mshiyeni public hospital in Umlazi Durban. She is also a human rights activist working with the Right2Know campaign and has been a member of the provincial working group for over 5 years. She is passionate about women development and the advancement of women’s participation in political and progressive democratic spaces.
Lucas Ngoetjana is the current deputy CEO at the KwaZulu Natal Christian Council (KZNCC). He obtained his PHD in Philosophy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and has authored books and papers on the philosophy of medicines. He also works to connect churches and communities to the provincial legislature and conducts lobbying and advocacy workshops for NGOs.
Tinashe Njanji is currently Coordinator of the People’s Health Movement South Africa (PHM-SA). His main responsibilities are the day-to-day running of the PHM-SA office, internal and external communications, mobilising communities and networking with other health CSOs in South Africa. He was one of the founding activists of the Social Justice Coalition, and in 2010 he was among the founding activists that formed the Right2Know Campaign.

[1] Parsa Erfani, Eugene Richardson, Jason Hickel, ‘A call for vaccine global justice’. Al Jazeera Opinion. 24 February 2021: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/2/24/a-call-for-global-vaccine-equity
[2] Mark Heywood, ‘Unity in action needed to ensure Covid-19 vaccine roll out and save lives’. Maverick Citizen Editorial. 5 January 2021: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-01-05-unity-in-action-needed-to-ensure-covid-19-vaccine-roll-out-and-save-lives/