Xaba, Lumkile Thobile2024-08-282024-08-282023-09Xaba, Lumkile Thobile. (2023). What are the reasons behind the poor access of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa? [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40362https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40362A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts (specialising in International Relations), to the Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023.Despite the pandemic and initiatives such as COVAX that were put in place for fair and equal distribution of vaccines, the African continent remains the least vaccinated continent in the world. Incorporating evidence from articles, journals and policies, this study demonstrates that the African continent had the least and poorest access to vaccines. This research paper aims to understand why Africa has received the least vaccines and is the least vaccinated continent. The paper looks at the availability of vaccines in Africa and the appropriate options available in healthcare settings to receive Covid-19 vaccines. Literature is used by various scholars to understand the reasons behind the poor access to vaccines which have resulted to low vaccine uptake in Africa. It aims to look at the various contributing factors to this phenomenon, “why has the African continent been the least vaccinated?” To respond to these issues, this study uses the theories of classical realism and institutional liberalism to discover why Africa was the least vaccinated continent. Data has been collected from March 2022 and subjected to discourse analysis to help further understand the reasons behind the poor access of vaccinations during Covid-19 in Africa. We find that there are both internal and external reasons behind the poor access in Africa and both national and international factors have contributed to poor vaccine access.en©2023 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Covid-19AfricaSouth AfricaVaccine nationalismWorld Health OrganisationCOVAXUCTDSDG-3: Good health and well-beingDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg