Togo launches AU digital vaccine passport as new Covid-19 variant emerges

As the world grapples with a new, highly mutated, variant of Covid-19, travel restrictions are being reinstated and the need to ensure that PCR test results and vaccine certificates are genuine has become more critical than ever.

The new strain, named B.1.1.529 by scientists, features an incredible 30 mutations from the world's most widespread variant, Delta.

The many changes to the variant's spike protein have increased fears of higher levels of transmission and ability to evade the body's immune defences, increasing the likelihood of severe disease and hospitalisation.

However, the B.1.1.529, first detected in South Africa and Botswana, is still detectable in PCR tests and vaccines are believed to still provide a measure of protection.

This means that a worldwide travel ban may not be necessary provided that genuine PCR test results and vaccine certificates can be verified as part of reasonable travel restrictions.

Vaccine Passport

It is in this context that news of Togo becoming the first African country to launch the African Union's Vaccine Passport - the AU Trusted Vaccines platform - is being received across the continent.

While many countries in Africa have launched the AU Trusted Travel platform for PCR verifications, with technical support from the PanaBIOS Consortium of major pan-African organisations like the Africa CDC and AfroChampions, deploying the Vaccine Passport has been somewhat slower.

Initial concerns were overcome when African Health Ministers and the African Union Commission's Department of Infrastructure (which oversees transportation matters in the Union) agreed that the Vaccine Pass will be a complement to existing PCR based measures and not a mandatory requirement for travel.

However, compared to PCR test verification through the Trusted Travel and Trusted Labs Network, deployment has been slower.

When this story was published, Kenya, for instance, was yet to connect its domestic Chanjo system with the African Union Trusted Vaccines platform. This is despite Kenya's pioneering launch of the African Union PCR test results platform (Trusted Travel) early this year.

 Togo's launch of Trusted Vaccines together with Trusted Travel makes the West African country the first to offer a continental vaccine pass combined with testing certificate to its citizens, thus considerably improving their ability to benefit from the free movement provisions enshrined in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

Digital Covid-19 testing

The integration of its national digital Covid-19 testing and vaccination system with the one developed by the African Union and the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention was undertaken with support from the PanaBIOS Consortium, which also supported Kenya and Ethiopia in launching the Trusted Travel system for PCR test verification.

Prof Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Health Care, reiterated the will of the Togolese government to protect its population against the coronavirus.

 "The government's efforts in managing the health crisis related to Covid-19, particularly in the implementation of the vaccination strategy, are praiseworthy. With more than 500,000 people fully vaccinated and almost a million people partially vaccinated, Togo now has a vaccination rate of 12 per cent,” he said.

He lauded efforts by the AU, the Africa CDC and the PanaBIOS Consortium for working diligently to ensure the secure and reliable production and verification of vaccination certificates on a continental scale.

Any person intending to travel from Togo is now required to check the travel requirements of the destination and transit countries including the requirements for a Covid-19 test through the Africa CDC online portal.

Mobile phone number

All departing passengers are expected to present themselves with a negative Covid-19 PCR test results from any one of the Trusted Travel authorised laboratories in the country.

“Passengers should present the necessary travel documents like passport and air ticket when they go to the laboratories. They must give the same email address and mobile phone number they intend to use to operate their online account,” a statement from the Health ministry says.

After the passenger gets tested or vaccinated at one of the authorized laboratories or vaccination centres, they receive a system generated test certificate and vaccination booklet via email from the testing laboratory. Travellers also download copies of their Trusted Vaccines booklets or Trusted Travel codes.

Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation, for her part, said that the digital solutions designed by Togo since the advent of the pandemic meet international standards, which now allows the government to establish interoperability with the rest of the world in record time.

“It is a further pride for us that the African Union recognizes our Covid-19 digital certificate, after its recent recognition by the 27 member states of the European Union”.

Telemedicine

The digitisation of the vaccination certificate is a first step in the effort to digitise the health sector in Togo.

Ultimately, digitisation in the country’s health sector is expected to facilitate, among other things, continuous round-the-clock support to patients and lay the foundations for the development of telemedicine.

With Togo having taken a leap into the future of digital health, all eyes will be on other African countries widely noted for their ICT innovation prowess.