AU member states worried about access to vaccines as third wave grips continent

There have been 5.2 million cases and more than 135,000 deaths from Covid-19 in African Union member states, the AU said on Thursday.

“A third wave of the disease is under way on the continent, with the large majority of cases occurring in the southern region,” it said in a statement. 

The latest statistics come after AU chairperson, Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, convened a teleconference meeting of the AU bureau of heads of state and government on June 24 to discuss the African response to the pandemic.

The leaders received a report from newly appointed AU Covid-19 “champion” President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy Dr John Nkengasong.

Ramaphosa told African leaders that, “since mid-May, the number of new cases per day has increased more than 2.5 times; 53 (96%) of the member states have experienced a second wave, which, in 75% of those countries, has been more severe than the first.

“In addition, 19 (35%) of the member states have experienced a third wave, which for 10 (53%) has proven more severe than previous ones.”

In his report, Ramaphosa went on to present the newly-founded Commission on African Covid-19 Response.

The commission, which held its inaugural meeting on June 22, aims to identify gaps in the continental Covid-19 response strategy and propose evidence-based interventions.

It is also required to generate evidence to assess the impact of Covid-19 on social and economic harm on the continent and propose ways to a strong recovery.

“The bureau of the heads of state and government further expressed concerns about the rising morbidity and mortality caused so far by the third and fourth waves of the pandemic in the member states and the limited access to Covid-19 vaccines on the continent.”

At the time of the meeting, only 1.12% of the African population had been fully vaccinated.

“In light of these developments, the bureau of the heads of state and government endorsed the revised joint continental strategy for Covid-19 outbreak.”

He explained that the revised strategy focuses on enhanced prevention, monitoring and treatment, which reflects the changing dimensions of Covid-19 on the continent and the evolving nature of the pandemic.

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