Africa needs seven-fold rise in COVID-19 vaccine shipments

While Africa’s third wave continues to ease, 108 000 new cases were recorded, and more than 3000 lives lost in the week to 19 September

COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Africa must rise by over seven times from around 20 million per month to 150 million each month on average if the continent is to fully vaccinate 70% of its people by September 2022. The 70% target was agreed at the global COVID-19 summit hosted by…

Video News Release: WHO Africa Online Briefing

Uganda Launches the Third Edition of the National Guidelines for Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response

The launch also looked at strengthening the commitment of stakeholders to IDSR and enhance ownership of the strategy for prevention and control of diseases and events

Uganda launched the Third Edition of the National Guidelines for Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala. The third edition highlights new methods of disease detection, reporting, and provision of real-time surveillance data using new technologies and platforms. The platforms include event-based disease surveillance, community-based…

Coronavirus: Africa faces 470 million COVID-19 vaccine shortfall in 2021

About 95 million more doses are set to arrive in Africa via COVAX throughout September

As the COVAX Facility is forced to slash planned COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to Africa by around 150 million this year, the continent faces almost 500 million doses short of the global year-end target of fully vaccinating 40% of its population. This shortfall comes as Africa tops 8 million COVID-19 cases…

Video News Release: WHO Africa Online Briefing

New study challenges understanding of pandemic preparedness and resilience in Africa

Our results show that we should not equate high levels of preparedness and resilience with low vulnerability

Countries in Africa assessed as being least vulnerable to an epidemic were the worst affected by COVID-19, new research suggests. Nations with more urban populations and strong international travel links were worst affected by the pandemic, the study shows. Mortality rates and levels of restrictions – such as lockdowns and…

Coronavirus: South Sudan receives its first consignment of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility

The arrival of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine means that the country has now received a total of 271,200 COVID-19 vaccine doses

South Sudan received its first consignment of 152,950 doses of the Johnson & Johnson ‘Janssen’ COVID-19 vaccines today. These single dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are the third batch of vaccine shipments to South Sudan through the COVAX Facility.   The first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines were shipped through…

Coronavirus - Africa: COVID-19 variants prolong Africa's pandemic wave

The more contagious Delta variant that partly fuelled the third wave has been dominant in several countries that experienced COVID-19 surge

Weekly COVID-19 cases in Africa fell by more than 20%—the sharpest seven-day decline in two months – as the third wave pandemic tapers off. However, the rate of deceleration is slower than the previous waves owing to the impact of more transmissible variants. The continent recorded more than 165 000…

Video News Release: WHO Africa Online Briefing

Coronavirus: Sierra Leone receives 151,200 J&J COVID-19 vaccines donated by US Govt. via COVAX Facility

This brings to 838 000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which have been received by Sierra Leone under the COVAX facility

The United States Government has donated 151,200 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to Sierra Leone to help accelerate the current COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country. The United States has made this donation through the COVAX facility, a global coalition co-led by the WHO, Gavi, the Global Vaccines Alliance…