With corona, Rinke de Wit relives the HIV pandemic, which he researched for years in Ethiopia. “It all has to do with global solidarity. How do we deal with pandemics? We fly around the world, are together in large groups, do massive food production with chicken and cow farms.”
Corona infection lasts longer, so more chance of mutations
According to Rinke de Wit, Africa has 25 million HIV patients. “They have a weakened immune system, which is due to HIV. As a result, a covid infection takes longer for them than for someone who does not have HIV. Such a virus then has more time to mutate. We have already seen a lot of mutants from Africa so I think we would do well to at least vaccinate HIV patients preventively.”
Rinke de Wit is active for PharmAccess, a non-profit organization that is committed to better healthcare in Africa. He praises the continent’s drive to innovate. “There are just as many people in Kenya with a smartphone, who are also setting up digital businesses. I think that the entrepreneurial spirit in Africa is a lot further than in the Netherlands among young people.”