COVID-19 origins tracing should not be political tool of U.S.: African expert

STORY: COVID-19 origins tracing should not be political tool of U.S.: African expert DATELINE: July 21, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:59 LOCATION: Nairobi CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (English): ALEX OWITI, Retired professor at Aga Khan Uni STORYLINE: An African expert has said the COVID-19 origins tracing should not be a political tool of the United States, adding that the U.S. political manipulation of COVID-19 origins tracing hinders global efforts to defeat the virus. SOUNDBITE (English): ALEX OWITI, Retired professor at Aga Khan University "My opinion is that it's an unfortunate confliction, that investigating the origins and tracing the origins of the virus, which is important for us to be able to deal with future pandemics, it has now been steeped in a very dangerous, political, unhelpful global debate. And we all know how former President Trump characterized the virus in many unfortunate respects, and at that time, science was set aside and global politics specifically took center stage. The Unite