Covid-19: Drogba, Eto'o Against Testing Vaccine In Africa

Covid 19: Drogba, Eto'o Against Testing Vaccine In Africa

By Sampson Adedeji

The duo of African football legends Coted'ivoire's Didier Drogba and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o Fils has clearly condemned testing Coronavirus vaccine in Africa.

Professor Jean-Paul Mira, who is the head of the intensive care unit at the Cochin Hospital in Paris, said that Africa could be the perfect set up for testing the vaccine for the coronavirus, BSN Reports.

“If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we do this study in Africa where there are no masks, no treatment, no resuscitation?

“The same as for some AIDS studies where prostitutes try things because we know they’re unprotected’.

Professor Camille Locht, research director at Inserm, seemed to agree with Jean Paul Maris’s comments.

“You are right. We are currently thinking in parallel about a study in Africa to make this same type of approach with the BCG.

“There is a tender process that has gone out or is going to go out. We will seriously think about that.

“That doesn’t prevent us from thinking in parallel about a study in Europe and Australia.”

The comments did not bode well with former Cameroon striker Eto’o who slammed the two professors on his Instagram.

"You are just SH*T. Africa isn’t yours to play with,” he said.

Ex-Chelsea and Ivory Coast forward Drogba accused the doctors of treating people like guinea pigs and labelled the remarks as ‘racist’.

Drogba wrote on his Twitter handle, “It is inconceivable that we continue to accept this. I strongly denounce these serious, racist and contemptuous remarks!

“Help us save lives in Africa and stop the spread of this virus which is destabilizing the whole world, instead of considering us as guinea pigs. It is absurd!

“African leaders have a responsibility to protect people from these heinous plots.’

Also adding his voice was former Chelsea striker and Senegal player Demba Ba.

“Welcome to the West, where white people believe themselves to be so superior that racism and stupidity become commonplace. TIME TO RISE,” he wrote on Twitter.

Eto’o replied on Ba’s post, saying: ‘Sons of bitches’.

BCG is one of various vaccines being considered for potential use against coronavirus.