The statements of two French doctors on a television program broadcast a few days ago on the French "LBC" channel, sparked widespread reaction. The two doctors - one of them an official at a well-known medical institute in France - suggested the possibility of conducting clinical trials in Africa for the BCG vaccine against TB, to see how effective it is against the Coronavirus.
John Paul Mira, director of the intensive care department at the Cochin Hospital in Paris, director of the research center at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research Cami Luchet asked, "Shouldn't we experiment with this study in Africa? There are no masks, no treatments, no intensive care," Lochett replied that he was thinking of taking tests in Africa to see how effective it was on Corona.
"Shouldn't we try this study in Africa? There are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation" |
After the spread of the program's video on social media, criticisms of the French doctors ’statements, which she described as racist and totally unacceptable, continued.
Lawsuit
Perhaps one of the strongest reactions is the decision of the Lawyers Club in Morocco to file a lawsuit against the doctors before the French judiciary. The club, on its official Facebook page, described what was said by Mira and Luchet as hateful and racist, and said that two Moroccan lawyers will file a complaint with the French public prosecutor on charges of ethnic defamation.
Didier Drogba, a famous African footballer, tweeted yesterday on his Twitter account, saying that what was stated on the French TV program is totally unacceptable, stressing that Africa is not a laboratory, and denouncing those statements, which he described as very racist.
It is totally inconceivable we keep on cautioning this. |
Activists and Soma have also called on Twitter in French and English, including "Africa is not a laboratory" and "Africans are not laboratory mice", and a petition has been created on the website "Ching" that specializes in electronic petitions to announce the refusal to conduct tests on any vaccine for the Corona virus in Africa.
The petition says that "Africans are neither mice nor monkeys experimenting in laboratories. We are in the twenty-first century and the West is still showing inhumane behavior towards the African continent." The online petition, which was signed by nearly 30,000 people until now, called for appreciation and respect for the Africans.
"It is not a provocation, it is simply racist ... Africa is not a laboratory for Europe, and Africans are not mice," said French Member of Parliament Olivier Fawer, as former French Minister of Education Najat Belkacem expressed her total rejection of the statements made on the LBC channel program. "Nothing in this video is acceptable, no essence of the conversation, let alone the sarcastic tone that was said," she said.
Rien n'est acceptable dans cette vidéo, ni le fond du propos, encore moins le ton badin avec lequel c'est dit. Y aurait-il eu un truquage quelconque des images ou va t'il falloir que nous saisissions très nombreux le CSA @LCIPolitique?!?! #LaHonte #COVID ー 19 #Afrique pic.twitter.com/qRBwPHRtwt - Najat Vallaud-Belkacem (@najatvb) April 2, 2020 |
The institute responded
On the other hand, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research published a tweet yesterday, describing what was circulated on social media with fabricated news, explaining that a truncated video was published for an interview conducted by "LBC" with a researcher at the institute, regarding the possibility of tests on BCG vaccine against Africa.
The institute pointed out that clinical trials to know the effectiveness of the mentioned vaccine against the Corona virus will be conducted in European countries such as France, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria and others, and there is thinking about expanding these experiments to include Africa, but in parallel with what is happening in Europe.
However, the institute admitted in a later tweet published today, that the researcher Kami Lucht understands the nature of the reactions left by his statements in the TV program that was broadcasting directly, and the institute added that the researcher apologizes for what was done from him and stresses that he did not intend to utter racist expressions towards Africa, And his intention was for the continent and all mankind to benefit from the fruits of ongoing scientific research to arrive at a treatment for the Corona epidemic.