Health: Africa CDC deals with Pfizer for COVID pill

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Pfizer for countries on the continent to receive supplies of the Paxlovid pill to treat COVID-19.

Acting director of the Africa CDC, Ahmed Ogwell Ouma said the MOU would allow African countries to access Paxlovid at cost.

“We have signed the MOU with Pfizer and we are going to be able to make that particular treatment available to African countries,” Reuters quotes Mr Ouma as saying.

Data from a mid-to-late-stage study in November last year showed the antiviral drug was almost 90% effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths compared to a placebo, in high-risk adults of serious illness.