Friends,

Recently we celebrated Africa Day — commemorating the founding of what is now known as the African Union.

As the only African-born Member serving in Congress, Africa Day serves as a reminder of my commitment to fighting for a more just and prosperous future for the continent.

It has been the honor of my life to shine a bright light on our experience and potential, but there is much work left to do in the fight for Africans’ human rights.

We cannot celebrate a day of independence and joy without recognizing the barriers the continent of Africa faces to a brighter future.

As the United States gets closer to the other side of the pandemic, Africa is at risk of a third wave. Right now, Africa is in dire need of more vaccines, as cases have surged 20% over the last two weeks.

Out of the continent’s total population of 1.3 billion, 31 million Africans have received vaccinations. Only 7 million people have received both doses of a two-shot vaccine, with many people in higher-risk groups going without a second dose.

While it’s an important step that the United States is donating more vaccine doses globally, including 5 million to Africa, we must do more when lives are on the line.

A major issue is that despite countries including South Africa having factories ready to manufacture the vaccine, Big Pharma refuses to release patent information. This is not the first time pharmaceutical companies have hurt the African continent during a pandemic.

In the ‘90s, pharmaceutical companies challenged the South African government in court in a cruel attempt to stop the country from creating generic, lower-cost drugs to fight against HIV.

We must ramp up our efforts to donate more vaccines overseas and push Big Pharma to waive patents — especially as some projections predict that several African countries, including my birthplace of Somalia, may not see a significant proportion of their populations vaccinated until 2024.

Vaccine access is far from the only barrier African countries face today, but ensuring as many countries as possible can receive and produce vaccines should be a major public health priority for the United States.

I will always speak out for the dignity and humanity of African people. Thank you for supporting the work we’re doing in Congress to stand up for human rights for all.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar