at some point we talk about, you know, security issues and, and, and we look at it from the fact that there are a lot of young people in this country without jobs. and i think there will be a challenge that any government will have to address. but as is the case in many african, he lectures, petty differences are playing a role in this election and might as well determine whether the incumbent president stays or the country gets a new leader. which means whoever wins the presidency, must not only address the key development issues, but also managed the complex diversities in the gambia. how many degrees al jazeera by june, the gambia. ah . hello again. the headlines on al jazeera, uganda has onst airstrikes against the armed group ally democratic forces across the border and the democratic republic of congo. it comes weeks after 3 suicide bomb attacks and kampala killed several people. uganda and authority is blamed adf

for the bombings. the drug make her madera now as warning, new vaccines may be needed to combat the new variance of co. 19 the seo says the current jobs may not be effective against army kron. the u. s. secretary of state says any russian aggression in ukraine will trigger serious consequences. anthony lincoln is attending a meeting of nato for ministers to discuss the mobilization of russian troops on the border with ukraine. the caribbean island nation of barbados has become a republic after cutting ties with the british monarchy. sandra mason has been sworn in as president, replacing queen elizabeth as head of state. a report in australia has found one and 3 people working in the federal parliament as experienced sexual harassment. the independence inquire into parliamentary workplace culture was ordered by prime minister scott morrison. like anyone who works in this building, i find the, the statistics that are presented there, of course, appalling and disturbing. i wish i found the more surprising

but i find them just as a poor. and that's why the actions i think that are recommended do cover all the territory that i'm unable to take us forward. and what i've seen in there has only reinforced my view about the actions that we've already taken. protesters as don, are preparing to march to the presidential palace to oppose the military takeover. they were demanding a civilian governance and the replacing of police chief to don pro democracy movement as opposed to last week's agreement with saw de la hancock reinstated as prime minister. those are the headlines inside story is coming up next on al jazeera, but by ah, ah

ah, the race to contain a new code with 1900 various countries are closing their borders, reem, posing travel restrictions, and warranty measures a clear sign. the pandemic is far from over, but our government prepared to deal with the ever changing virus. this is inside story. ah, hello and welcome to the program. i'm daddy navigator. so just as countries around the world, we're starting to reopen their borders and lift coven, 1900 restrictions. a new variance is now threatening to derail the progress of the past few months. several nations have already imposed travel restrictions to and from southern africa. that's where the latest variance was 1st detected,

the world health organization says it poses a high global risk. so government has been put on notice, be prepared. little is known about the new strain, but there are fears. it may be highly infectious and more resistant to vaccines. more than 2 years since the start of the pandemic, it shows no signs of ending health officials are urging nations to speed up their vaccination drives. we'll bring in our guests and just a moment, but 1st here's more from the head of the w. h ho, who's urge countries to work together to fight depend demik. we understand and support every government's responsibility to protect its own people. it's natural. but vaccine equity is not charity. it's in every country's best interests. no country can vaccinate its way out of the fund. along the longer about union equity persists,

the more opportunity these virus has to spread and evolve in ways we can not predict nor prevent the. let's, i'll bring in our guest. joining us from cambridge in the u. k. a dr. dick to go to sunny, who's a senior lecturer at queen mary university of london and addis ababa dr. estimate. well, the job p t director at the africa centers for disease control and prevention over in oxford, michael jacobs as the professor of political economy at the university of sheffield in the u. k. welcome to you all. thanks so much for joining us on inside story. dr . a good the sunny so just about a year ago and vaccination started rolling out the belief by some was that life could certainly return to normal. just when things seem to be looking up. infection started increasing again in some countries as you know. and now we have this new concerning variant. are you surprised by this, or do you expect this to happen?

no, i'm not at all surprised. in fact, a lot of that rhetoric is come from politicians, particularly in the west, where the idea has been let's live with the wire to return to normal. scientists have been warning for a while that that's not possible with a virus that's been adapting continuously, was becoming more transmissible potentially more. they had more able to escape vaccines. so this was entirely predictable because we've had, i think, i knew where did arise on with every 3 to 4 months. and this is sort of right on time with predictions that many people have made. unfortunately, the banassi ignored by government who want life for child to normal, but aren't really taking steps needed to ensure that radians. don't continue to rise in the way that they are michael, take up. i see you nodding along. what's your take on this? i think i bowed to the scientific experts, it is pretty clear that with a current of ours, that is new teaching so rapidly, the ones that will emerge are the ones that are more transmissible and more resist

vaccine. that's what, that's why they merge. and this does mean, i think that until the world is fully vaccinated, we are going to have to live with it in the sense that we're not going to be able to go back to move. this is the new normal. and so a world, or at least wearing mosques, physical distancing restrictions on travel, i think, is inevitable for several years yet. and really worrying thing is the world has not made a huge amount of progress in vaccinating the entire population. you know, most european countries have about 70 percent for the vaccination. now in the u. k, in the u. s, it's less than that. it's more like 60 most african countries. it's still under 5 percent. the, the south africa where this new variant seems to arisen is only 25 percent despite being a richer african country. these levels of vaccination make it inevitable that we're going to see this virus across the globe. and that will continue to give us huge

economic disruption and huge increases in poverty. all right, all important points which i'll address in just a moment. but 1st, let me bring an address out of us are on a cron and has been classified as a variance of concern, as you know. what is the data available so far? tell us about its infection risk and will it become the dominant strain? do you think or is it too early to say? so now, thank you for having me. let me start by correcting the previous speaker, ah, who was alluded to a my con virus having been coming from south africa that is incorrect. and the correct position is that it is impossible to know where her variant fast appears a bit more efficient. scientists are the ones who are going to be declaring that they have are characterized that particular variant. and that's what south africa you need. will china have done it is the efficiency of their system that is now

being turned round, or to label this particular variant as a something that has happened in southern battle, africa. and let me shift to your question. we don't know a lot about this particular baby, but the fact of the matter is, we know we expected from the very beginning that we are going to be having different variants. that is the we viruses are. they are going to mutate of a time. so it is not a surprise. what is surprising is the panic that we are seeing across the globe. by the time a virus, a new variant has been characterized. it has been circulating and weaving the globe. and it is very difficult to them try and close doors and pretend that it may not come in to one particular community. and what we need to do

is to understand what this new variant is all about. we still don't have enough information to do that. and then we react appropriately and the appropriate reaction is to use all the tools at our disposal. vaccines is just one of them. we must go back to all the other tools. public health measures masking our sanitizing providing the correct information and not panic. so that we can stay ahead of this pandemic. otherwise, if we panic, it will orders yet of us. so, okay, i, my dog alma is this, then the new normal as you speak of a sanitizing mass, squaring vaccines, are people just going to have to learn how to live with lockdown and restrictions and vaccines and screenings for the foreseeable future? what, what is definitely going to happen is that we are going to be living in an environment

that is different from the pre planning base. it is absolutely no doubt about that . we come, however, be able to bring this to a stop if we act together. acting on our own individual countries, communities is not going to act to, to stop the pandemic. this is a global problem, and we must approach it from a global perspective. where to live the tune is available to each and every part of the world. then we can be able to bring this to a stop and the some of the restrictions will then be able to be removed. but so long as we continue to look at this from mom, i very much unlisted spectacles. we're not going to have it and, and any new body of that will come is not going to be able to be contained in one country or one region. it will spread. so we must ox together so that we can be able to remove all these restrictions and continue with the life i relatively more

comfortably than it is a doctor where the sun is that something you agree with? also, the president of south african self described, the emergence of this new variant is a wake up paul call for the world regarding particularly vaccine inequality. and he warned that until everybody was vaccinated then more variance were actually inevitable. so with countries and populations having different access to vaccines, as we know, is he right? yes, me. thank you. this has been obvious from when the found the mac startled. i mean, you need a globe the coordinated approach of progressive elimination. this is not a virus that you can live with because as i said, you will see new versions of this bias much each one potentially worse than the previous, but you don't just need a coordinated vaccine strategy. so definitely there needs to be global equity. there's no doubt about that, and there's also no doubt that there's been massive boarding on vaccines in the west that has sort of pushed cool back to the end of the queue despite there being a huge need that. but i think it also needs to be

a coordinated effort to deal with misinformation back to hesitancy, which is impacting i think all of the was including south africa. and i think unless we have all of that with the focus on, you know, as professor said, every tool tool box. so it's not just faxing, but hybrid mark things that work with a transmission like ventilation, really good. so valence system. we will not be able to get on top of this, so it's essentially using every layer that we have in ensuring that there is no concrete disadvantage because of lack of access or shortages or lack of things. the structure as well as dealing with the huge amount of misinformation that spread across multiple avenues including social media, michael jacobs. what do you think the governments need to do to manage this virus in a sort of more effective way? so we can get back to our normal lives. well, i certainly agree that we need to be sharing vaccines more equitably across the world. we recently, apparently in the u. k. destroyed 600000 vaccines,

which had gone past their effective date, which is an absolute moral disgrace and economic disaster. we, it is really appalling that the western countries and gulf states and others have not been enabling greater vaccination in the rest of the world. and as has been said by various leaders, including the head of the w, w, i chose you heard earlier a mother's a safe until everybody is. but i also agree that this problem with this information and vaccine hesitancy is a huge problem in the u. s. a. it looks very unlikely that they will ever be able to get to a, a heard in unity because very large numbers of people almost entirely associated with supporters of the republican party to not believe in vaccinations. and in many cases seem to believe that the whole curve it thing is a hooks. now, that is a kind of not just this information, but a kind of political war on health and on equity. and many countries around the

world see this where you've got a vaccine, hesitancy bound up with wider mistrust of, of governments or professionals of experts and so on. and this is a real problem which we have to address in every country where this occurs, right? my cover, how difficult is it to balance what scientist, one in terms of wiping up as virus and what society and populations need in terms of function and well being. i think from an economic point to do it is very difficult. there's no question that as you restrict certain kinds of contact travel that certain sectors of the economy will be heard, the travel industry, tourism, in particular, the un conference on train development is estimated, but the economic cost across the world. but particularly from the loss of travel and tourism might go up to 4 trillion dollars last year and this year. so that is a huge economic cost. and it's obviously much harder for people and industries where most workers can't work from home in manual labor sectors. the auction of

working from home, which is possible for white color office workers, doesn't exist. so this will have is having a huge economic course. but in the end, a pandemic which, which we don't get riddle will have a larger economic cost. and so yes, of course, this is of balance and some countries seem to balance this better than others. in other places, the restrictions have been a been minimized because of political opposition. there's a kind of strand of libertarianism that's definitely true in my own country in the u. k. and in the u. s, which sees even things as simple as more squaring, as incursions on personal liberty. that kind of attitude is not helping that. he's making the situation worse, stand by for just a moment or will delve into the economic discussion a little bit more, but take a look at the statistics. so as we mentioned earlier, this new variance is threatening to undo the recent economic recovery. if there was one, millions of people lost their jobs when businesses were forced to close. during the initial wave of the pandemic, global supply chains are still severely disrupted as

a result of staff sorta, jones. and many ports are clogged with shipments, causing supply shortfalls, as well as raising prices. and the international monetary fund predicts the cost of food and gas will rise by 4.3 percent this year. and that is the biggest jump since 2011. and on the issue of travel, in particular off my dog. well, oma, the president of south africa, i'm sure you know, has called on countries which have imposed recent travel bands on his country as well as some other regional countries to urgently reverse their decisions. that's what he says before any further damage is done to our economies. so knowing that the u. k. u and u. s. are among some of those who impose those travel bands, do you think they're going to make a difference in fading this variance solid bonds? don't work, we have seen it and there's another foster radiance that she's our new start over the i'll find a better the delta m. we have very good evidence that travel bonds do not work. to

fact, during this time of a micro, on we have seen as or my last count at least 12 countries have reported a documenting. they'll micro another variant. so, closing down economies over a, by, by bombing traveling from one part of the world to another is not going to help. but when you say you handle it, and i wonder if you can just tell us a little bit about what that evidence is. look, if you go to each and every type of variant, the only way for you to be able to know which parent you need is to do for genome sequence. so if a country is doing full genom sequencing, they will be able to tell what kind of variant we are dealing with. not all countries are doing that some countries are doing it, especially in africa. we are doing that very, very effectively. and when we share that beta, we are punished. what 2nd is when you look at the out the way that them or the

variance are being identified across the world of it is not following aaliyah path or from one country to the other. it is popping up even amongst people who cannot be able to be seen to have trouble anyway are come into contact with someone else. what travel? so it means that the, the way in which is variants are actually traveling across the world. we cannot yet to be able to define it effectively. and if we can't define the pathway, then the close closure of borders is not going to l. a. but it is damaging our response in 2 very important ways. one is that it is going to discourage countries from a doing any for genome sequencing and sharing be a bit that is damaging and 2nd economically speaking by starting to label countries as are saucers of different types of by

a variance. we're going to start if affecting are not only response of the public to our vaccination, but also the economy. a damage that is going to be caused is going to be more if we deal with this as we are dealing with variance and not parts of the world than we are going to be a lot more effective, but travel bonds do not work, have never worked are not going to work with this variant or any other that will come up in the future and out of her, the fanny. what is your opinion on this or, or the travel brands premature an overreaction or, or what's your take on? so by the time a band is identified, it is widespread. so you know, where does what? by then 5, many of us said yes, it's definitely here in england because of the transport links between different regions. bank doesn't mean that slowing down import doesn't help. i mean, certainly that helps, but not to travel them through creating at the border and strong quarantine measures and not targeted a single countries,

but rather comprehensive ones that require isolation and testing of old travelers. and those measures have been sure to be highly effective in, in very large studies across many countries. but also with the caveat they'd be, are effective because you're going to load on spread. but then are you going to do something with that extra time that you get because ultimately cases will probably come through unless you have sort of very blanket restrictions, like some countries in the se, have, which i get ready and out. and i don't see fancies like the u. s. and you could doing very much else with that timing that's i needs to be urgently use to put in domestic measures that reduce transmission to reduce existing case ways to build health care capacity to increase the vaccination on boosting. unless that time of use to do that. it's sort of going to be wasted. so ask the question that i will put at the top of the show and is this going to be the new normal doctor or the sunny? should people continue to expect travel bands?

i know that my go go. oh, my doesn't necessarily agree with them, but should people be expecting this to be their new normal? they should face travel bands every couple of months because of the corona virus. i think depends on the political will. i mean, if there is a global e coordinated effort towards elimination. ben, things like quarantines and travel restrictions and other restrictions will be the shortest. but, and by sort of them, i still mean unfortunately, over the course of a few yards. you know, like we did the mizo be eliminated, but gradually. but if that's not the course that we're choosing and if the course is living with the virus, then i'm afraid we are dealing with longer term restriction. so paradoxically, i find the focus on short term freedoms. in short term economic green gains has trumped the science, which means that we're living in longer term restrictions and much, much greater economic damage. and i think at this point in time for politicians and scientists reflect on, you know,

can we make it globally coordinate to f lord which requires short pain. but, you know, does not require living with a virus that's constantly mutating to potentially become more transmissible. and more able to escape the tools that we have. so michael, jake, of how do then government balance keeping their economy the float on one end while protecting populations from transmission. and is their strategy this time around going to have to be different than last time around. the strategies in countries that are more vaccinated is different. so lot downs are, are occurring less than they used to older. we'd now see new look towns in certain european countries because transmission has extended foreigners. but that will be different in many countries from before. i think many industries have become better at adapting to the situation where people can work from home. people are obviously got used to that in other sectors. we've got better logistics, which have kept people apart from one another, better ventilation of or,

or of buildings. and so on, so between industry and government, we've seen some forms of adaptation, which meant that the economic costs have not been as great. but then, or if we don't succeed in vaccination, very large numbers of the population globally and not just in certain countries. and these things won't be fully effective to very difficult choices, the governments, because the economic costs are very considerable. you have obviously the direct health costs or people getting the disease. but you have huge economic costs from making it more difficult for people to work into consume and to produce. and those have real health costs themselves. people become ill. a people are poorer than they can't access, health care themselves and so on. so this is a very difficult balancing act in their own simple solutions for your thing is that you cannot make inequality were worse than and michael jacobs if, if the situation continues as, as it economy can ecology will worsen under either leaving the,

the pandemic to go its own way or restricting the economy, but much more deeply naive. the choice is good for poor people because poor people have fewer options always. and so yes, inequality is likely to rise. this is why it's so important, but governments are extend the vaccination programs, particularly in the donation of vaccines from rich countries to poor countries. because in the end that is the only way we will get a control of this. and the only way we can find some degree of equitable outcome, and i just want to say, but trouble bands or any form of travel restriction is an economic costs to the countries involved in not troubles. so even if you don't band people, if you coronating them, if you force him to have tests, which they have to pay for, you will have a restriction on the amount of trouble that is on the fray inevitable in a pandemic that troubles her so quickly across borders, so whether or not it's actual bands or whether it's just better

a quarantine in vaccination testing, processes that will impact or trouble with an economic cause. i though, well, oh my, it, to what extent you think this crisis, this pandemic has really been a revelation on, on weaknesses that exist in how we all live together? absolutely, and in fact the weaknesses have been across bode, and all types of communities and countries. all types of are strat, dana's foster, social studies, and all of us have been exposed in different ways. now 2 things i like to add to that one is we do have tools at our disposal that we need to use to slow this down so that we're going to be able to perform an adequate economic activities. that one is testing. we have rapid test now which give you

results in a matter of minutes and we need to use these more effectively so that we can me what do i then defy hotspots quickly? and then put out on the spread as fast as possible before it goes into other parts of the country, other parts of the world. so effective testing needs to be ramped up. second is vaccination. we need to vaccine it, that we can reduce the number of people who are willing to be seriously ill and therefore put less pressure on our health systems. and i also have fewer people who can be able to spread out a virus more more efficiently. and finally, ease information, human beings by and live, if they're given the correct information, they tend to react in a positive way. they'll always be that part of society that will not be able to react in a positive way. the way that we transmit that information, how fast we do it, and how effectively treat the population is critical in ensuring that our population is we. there are those who are responsible for guiding and coordinating

this response. and now currently we're not doing enough of providing that information and we need to do it more effectively. ok on that now to leave it there . thank you so much for joining us. doctor. did great as any doctor mother. well, oh my michael jacobs, we appreciate your time. thanks for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com for further discussion. and you can go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you can join the conversation on twitter or handle is a james, i story from myself and the whole team here in delphi. thanks for watching a bye for now. the news ah

a with the stage a said and it's time for a different approach. one that is going to challenge the way you think from international politics to the global pandemic, and everything in between. upfront with me, michael,

mike hill on out 0. ah, hello there, i'm still here tehan dough. at the headlines here on al jazeera, uganda has launched the air strikes against the on group the allied democratic forces across the border and democratic republic of congo. it comes weeks after 3 suicide bomb attacks, income pollock, killed, several people. you guys know authorities blamed the adf for those bombings. malcolm weber's following developments for us from nairobi to the ugandan army spokesman to, to just to show why the guy that had begun this join military operation with both air strikes and artillery fire. but we have heard from security sources.