“I came to receive my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, I feel very fine, there is no pain and the process is very simple,” shared Ojullu Ochan Ochan, a refugee from Ethiopia. What becomes the fate of over 18million refugees in Sub Saharan Africa as regards access of COVID-19 vaccine? Will they access the vaccine just like Ojullu? Will African countries prioritize refugees during vaccination? All these, remain questions to be addressed in the wake of COVID-19
In this 21st century, no continent is immune from the problem of forced displacement. The causes of contemporary displacement have become ever more complex, as conflict, violence and human rights abuses are increasingly intertwined with ethnic and religious animosities, acute poverty and deprivation. An alarming number of refugees continue to rise because of conflicts that have gone on for years or even decades, with no solutions in sight. To be exact, refugee is an individual who has left his or her home country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return there because of a serious threat to his or her life or freedom.
As many African countries begin to import the vaccine and front inoculation campaigns in an attempt to recuperate and regain a sense of normalcy, it is imperative to be mindful of the fact that over 60 million of Africa’s displaced persons, refugees and asylum-seekers who constitute an integral part of this continent in which they reside, require inclusion and equitable access to the vaccine.
Of the 90 countries that have developed national COVID-19 vaccination strategies in the world, only 51 to 57% have included refugees in their vaccination plans. Columbia which hosts about 2 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants, has for instance politicized the vaccine rollout, announcing that they will prioritize vaccination of their own citizens and will not make vaccines available to any other groups. Amongst the 54 nations worldwide that have explicitly committed themselves to vaccinating refugee populations, plans for practical access to the vaccine remain uncertain.
In Africa for instance, Uganda hosts the largest refugee population on the African continent and the third largest globally with 1.4million refugees. About 60% of these refugees are under the age of 18. The majority of refugees in Uganda (about 92%) are hosted in settlements alongside local communities, while a minority of 8% are hosted in urban centers especially Kampala, the country’s capital city.
Regional conflict continues to impact upon how Uganda handles the pandemic and its refugee population. Despite the closure of borders, recently Ugandan temporarily opened its borders to receive refugees fleeing from recurring conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo. Over the course I f three days between 1-3 July, 3000 refugees, 65% of whom weee children, crossed over the border into north west Uganda at the Golajo and Mount Zeu crossing points. They were fleeing resurgent conflict in Ituri region. They were quarantined 14 days before being moved to refugee camps by UNHCR. , 65% of whom were children, crossed over the border into north-west Uganda at the Golajo and Mount Zeu crossing points. They were fleeing resurgent conflict in the Ituri region. They were quarantined for 14 days before being moved to refugee camps by the UNHCR. The key challenge is whether such refugees who already comprise of vulnerable groups like women amongst them, will access the vaccine
In most African nations, individual access to the vaccine is dependent on the age, occupation, or pre-existing conditions of the individual . Because many refugees are not documented under these specific categories, it makes many of them automatically disqualify from inoculation in their host countries.There should however exist equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination to all migrants regardless of nationality, migration status and states need to be reminded of their international obligation regards the right to health and non discrimination especially in the face of a global pandemic.
Health is a fundamental human right indispensable for the exercise of other human right encapsulated in Article 25 of the Declaration of Human Rights. Health must not be a privilege accorded only to citizens of a nation especially in such unprecedented times but must be a right availed to every human being. The right to health includes the obligation to provide immunization and vaccination against infectious diseases with no discrimination on grounds of race, age, sex, or any other vulnerability. Therefore every African state has the obligation to ensure the right of access to health facilities, to the COVID-19 vaccine and non-discriminatory basis especially for vulnerable groups like migrants.
The right to the highest attainable standard of health is a human right further recognized under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, which is widely considered the central instrument of protection for the right to health. It’ recognizes the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and does not exclude refugees, migrants or asylum seekers.
Although each nation with access to the vaccine is developing an extensive vaccination plan, many of them are not explicitly incorporating refugees into the equation despite the impact the pandemic has had on refugees and migrant families. The limited doses available also make fair distribution of the vaccine unattainable in most African countries. States should however prioritize vaccine access by establishing criteria to avail the vaccine to persons regardless of their nationality or migration status.
The UNHCR and World Bank has continued to urge countries that including refugees in their vaccination programs is key to ending the pandemic. The UNHCR has further warned countries on the detrimental effects of not vaccinating refugee populations. The need to prioritize refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in the vaccination process focuses on various facts including the fact that an average refugee camp accommodates an estimated 11400 people with each household having between 7 to 12 occupants on average. The dense population in refugee households makes the practice of social distancing and protective measures against COVID 19 a total impracticability. In the context of propagating search criteria, priority should be a accredited to migrants more exposed and vulnerable to COVID-19 due to various factors like the nature of accommodation in refugee camps, immigrants in crowded detention facilities and immigrants in transit.
Needless to say, there are noticeable barriers in most migrant hosting countries ranging from overall lack of vaccine availability, technical barriers like lack of internet connectivity, administrative or policy barriers where vaccines are reserved for nationals given the limited supply, requiring specific documentation like Identity Cards which makes it impossible for displaced persons, refugees to access financial barriers especially for persons not enrolled in health scheme plans.
African countries should generally take up similar vaccination policies like South Sudan whose refugees received COVID-19 jabs during the rollout of the country’s National vaccination campaign, joining Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda in refugee inclusion in vaccination plans in the East African region. They should further emulate Jordan which announced that anyone living on Jordanian soil, including refugees and asylum seekers is eligible to receive the vaccination at no personal cost.
Home to an estimated 1.3 million Syrian refugees as well as Palestinian communities, Jordan constantly enforced preventive measures against COVID 19 hence the proportion of refugees with vivid has remained 1.6% lower than even the general population of Jordan. Jordan began vaccinating the most vulnerable populations regardless of their country of origin , insisting that the health of the nation is dependent on the health of refugees who are at a higher level of medical vulnerability.
As the United Nations High Commissioner on Human rights held ; ensuring access to the vaccine isn’t the only right thing to do, it is in the best interest of us all, fir unless everyone is safe, no one is safe.”, excluding migrants from vaccination access poses a great risk and threat to even the nationals since the unvaccinated refugees residing in such adamant nations remain exposed to the nationals, causing more harm.
By JOSEPHINE LUZIGE
The writer is an immigration lawyer in Uganda, Kampala.
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