COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Africa are rapidly ramping up from multiple sources after a near-halt to deliveries in recent months. Nearly 4 million doses听from COVAX听arrived in Africa last week, compared with just 245 000 doses听from the facility听throughout the month of June.
COVAX aims to ship 520 million doses to Africa by the end of 2021. COVID-19 vaccine deliveries听from the African Union鈥檚 Africa Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) are picking up, with a听projected rise to 10 million each month from September. Around 45 million doses are expected from AVAT by the year鈥檚 end. 听
So far, almost 79 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have arrived in Africa and 21 million people, or just 1.6% of Africa鈥檚 population, are fully vaccinated. High-income countries have given 61 times more doses per person than low-income countries. To fully vaccinate 30% of Africa鈥檚 population by the end of 2021, the continent needs up to 820 million doses, considering a two-dose schedule.
Africa is still in the throes of a third wave. The limited slowdown in cases is heartening and cause for a very cautious optimism, but we are far from out of the woods yet. We must all stay vigilant.
鈥淭here鈥檚 light at the end of the tunnel on vaccine deliveries to Africa but it must not be snuffed out again. I urge all countries with surplus doses to听urgently share more in the spirit of life-saving solidarity and enlightened self-interest, because no country is safe until all countries are safe. I urge African countries to gear up and get ready, as our drought听is听finally ending,鈥� said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa.
Tanzania听has kicked听off its COVID-19 vaccination campaign听after receiving the first delivery of around 1 million听doses, a donation听of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine听from the United States Government, through COVAX on 24 July. Tanzania joined COVAX on 15 June.听听
COVAX recently clinched new deals with Sinopharm and Sinovac to rapidly supply 110 million more doses to low-income countries. COVAX and the World Bank are set to further boost COVID-19 vaccine supply for developing countries through a new听cost-sharing听arrangement that听allows low-income countries to purchase doses beyond the fully donor-subsidized doses they are already receiving from COVAX.
The rise in vaccine shipments comes as Africa sees its second week of falling case numbers after a steep and unbroken eight-week surge. Reported case numbers fell by 18% from over 282 000 to 230 500 in the听week ending on 25 July. The decline was largely driven by South Africa, which accounts for 37% of all reported cases, and Tunisia, which accounts for 8%.听听
Twenty-two African countries saw cases rise by over 20% for at least two weeks running in the听week to 25 July听and reported deaths rose in 17 African countries to nearly 6300 on the continent听in the same week.听The听highly transmissible Delta variant has been found in听26听African countries. The Alpha variant has been detected in听38 countries and Beta variant in 35.听
鈥淎frica is still in the throes of a third wave. The limited slowdown in cases is heartening and cause for a very cautious optimism, but we are far from out of the woods yet. We must all stay vigilant. One third of all African countries are still living through a dangerous resurgence and we must stick with the prevention measures that we know save lives, like mask wearing, good hand hygiene and physical distancing,鈥� said Dr Moeti.听听听
Dr Moeti spoke during a virtual press conference today with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
