WHO Urges Nigeria, Other African Countries To Step Up Covid-19 Vaccination

The World Health Organisation has called on Africa leaders to increase pace of vaccination, stating that the pandemic is trending upwards in 10 African countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti said this during a virtual press conference facilitated by APO Group, on Thursday.

She warned that 47 of Africa’s 54 countries may miss the September target of vaccinating 10 percent of their people unless Africa receives 225 million more doses.

Moeti noted that COVID-19 cases in Africa have increased for the third week running while vaccines are increasingly scarce.

“As Africa nears 5 million COVID-19 cases, numbers are rising week-on-week and increased by nearly 20 percent to over 88 000 in the week ending on 6 June.

“The pandemic is trending upwards in 10 African countries, with four nations recording a spike in new cases of over 30 percent in the past seven days, compared with the previous week.

“72 percent of all new cases were reported in Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia and over half were recorded in nine southern African countries,” she said.

Speaking further, Moeti noted that while more vaccines are vital, some African countries must ramp up actions to swiftly roll out the vaccines they have, adding that twelve countries have more than 10 percent of their AstraZeneca doses at risk of expiring by the end of August.

According to her, vaccines have been proven to prevent cases and deaths.

She noted that the United States President Joe Biden’s planned announcement that the US will purchase and donate half a billion Pfizer vaccines to 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries and the African Union is an important step forward.

“This comes as we see other countries such as France making tangible deliveries via the COVAX Facility.

“The tide is starting to turn. We are now seeing wealthy nations beginning to turn promises into action.

“As we close in on 5 million cases and a third wave in Africa looms, many of our most vulnerable people remain dangerously exposed to COVID-19,” she said.