When the novel virus COVID-19 came to the surface and became a reality, with deaths from it multiplying from a few hundred in a week, to thousands and later onto tens of thousands, the world was caught in its tracks and it became clear that at this time in living memory a major disruption to civilization had emerged. Solutions were however, needed to checkmate the virus and the task of finding a vaccine to curb the virus began in earnest.
The virus in all appearance was nothing more than an enemy waging a war, the potency of this enemy could be described by its invisibility and for the fact that it does not discriminate. While the whole world was up in arms, some countries thought that their best option was coming up with a vaccine of theirs. The ability to have a vaccine for these countries went beyond just providing a cure for their population. It was more of stopping an enemy in its tracks, the enemy being COVID-19 which had almost brought economic and social activities to its knees.
What could have motivated some countries to take the battle of producing a successful vaccine more seriously than others? Its national pride. Underneath the issue of national pride is the sense of security and being truly independent. The production of vaccines with high percentage of efficacy at the end of the initial race, saw countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the USA and Israel taking the lead. So, while Britain had over 20milion of its citizens getting the first jab of its vaccine inoculations, the whole of Africa was still waiting for a donation from the World Health Organisation funded through the COVAX initiative. This reinforces the dichotomy between northern Europe and Africa, of the giver and the beggar syndrome.
The lack of a well interred research culture with relevant structures made African countries spectators in a race which would ultimately place some countries in a position of controlling the narrative of post Covid 19 by virtue of owning the patents of these vaccines. There were episodes of hot air blown in the media about the morality of some countries having excesses of vaccines while some countries were not sure whenever they could have a single dose reserved for them, even if they are willing to pay for it. Security / self-sufficiency and national pride are two sides of the same coin. One does not exist without the other. They are symbiotic qualities which help in galvanising most serious-minded societies.
Unlike majority of African countries for example and many southern American nations, china equally went through different phases of political and social evolution. Modern China evolved from several dynasties up till when the communists emerged to forge a modern nation, in between, the cultural revolution set the pace for creating a sense of national pride with the Chinese. It is this sense of national pride that has propelled china over the past few decades, to making it the second largest economy global economy, with over 800 million lifted out of poverty. The resolve of the Chinese was to build a society that is resilient and with emphasis on self-sufficiency.
National pride when bruised, could be a very traumatic experience, especially where expectations are deemed normal or of a higher standard. For instance, when the people of France realised that their supply of vaccines would be coming from the UK, they wondered why they had to be at the mercy of their old enemy and rivals. To the French, the government had brought shame to France and its people, and the best option for every Frenchman and women was to literarily wear sack clothes and put ashes on their head as a way of national mourning. At the peak of national anger, many in France concluded that the country had in effect become a third world nation, of course an overstatement.
National pride driving competitiveness and more productive dividends, naturally gives a country increased political leverage among the comity of nations. Israel is a good example of one of the vaccines flagbearers, small but punching well above its weight globally. National or self-pride has the tendency of driving one or a society to push harder and beyond with the aim of achieving positive results. This is one of the qualities which sets developed countries apart and above less developed countries. What Covid 19 has done to the world is providing an opportunity to all counties, small or large, rich, or poor to be more introspective and see how much value they ve always placed on themselves and the way to go forward from now onwards.
© Copyright, Olugbenga Adebanjo
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