The next three months will shape how the Covid-19 pandemic plays out in Africa, whose fight against the virus has been crippled by its lack of access to life-saving vaccines and global solidarity, top public health officials said on Thursday.
The UK’s ongoing red-listing of certain African countries, including SA, and refusal to accept recognised AstraZeneca vaccinations from others, like Kenya, is the latest example of this. Africa CDC director Dr John Nkengasong slammed the decision at his weekly update on coronavirus, warning that it sends confusing messages to the continent and stirs up vaccine hesitancy.
“The kind of statements we see from the UK with respect to travel are confusing to our people and create reluctance to receive the vaccine. If [we] encourage them to take the vaccine and [the UK] is refusing to accept these vaccinations.
“Policies must be based on science ... vaccines given authorisation by the World Health Organisation must be recognised across the board,” he said.
Only 4% of Africans are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and seven countries are already experiencing their fourth wave. “Four of them have a very severe fourth wave, whose peak is significantly higher than previous waves,” Nkengasong said.
Critical period for the largest and most complex vaccine rollout in history
The meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly presents an opportunity to change this trajectory by fast-tracking vaccines to the continent.
WHO Africa region director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said: “Africa certainly has the lowest vaccine coverage of any WHO region, and we hope the political drive will help decisions emerge that change some of what is happening.”
The Global Covid-19 summit, on its fringe, offered Africa a “dose of hope” on sharing vaccines, she said. US President Joe Biden, who chaired the summit, promised Africa another 500-million doses, to be delivered through Covax.
But shipments to Africa must increase by more than seven times, from 20-million per month to 150-million, for the continent to reach its 70% vaccination target, decided at the summit, by September 2022, said Moeti.
This month the pace of vaccinations accelerated as more doses landed in African countries - the number of jabs given last week on the continent was 13-million, up from a weekly average of three to four million in the previous weeks - but shortages of doses remain a huge problem in planning and executing the rollout.
Aurélia Nguyen, MD of Covax facility, said: “We are entering the most critical period for the largest and most complex vaccine rollout in history.”
The hording of vaccine doses by high-income countries, export restrictions on vaccines and the failure of donors to meet their promises have left Africa catastrophically short of doses. Moeti said only a third of the vaccines committed to Africa by wealthy countries by the end of 2021 had been received.
To date 181-million doses have been delivered to 53 African countries, which have used up 75% of them. Sixteen-million doses of these have been given in SA.
Nkengasong hailed the announcement by India on Thursday that it would be lifting export bans on vaccines.
The Serum Institute of India is manufacturing millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which are being donated through Covax to Africa and this ban had a huge impact on vaccine shipments to the continent.
Supply shortages forced Covax to cut its planned deliveries to Africa by 25% this year. The Covax shortfall has made it impossible for Africa to meet vaccine targets, such as protecting the most vulnerable 10% of its population by September.
The third wave has, on average, declined across the continent during the past nine weeks. From August 13 to September 19, new cases dropped by 19% on average.
New deaths also declined on average by 12% but, countries like Nigeria (up 51%) and Ethiopia (26%) have been hit by sharp increases.
To reverse the waves of infection and deaths, Nkengasong urged countries with excess doses of vaccines to release them and for those with a high vaccine coverage to redistribute their supplies — without delay.
