(Brazzaville) The Omicron variant is affecting more countries in Africa and the number of COVID-19 cases has jumped 93% on the continent in a week, but “a sign of hope”, hospitalizations remain few in South Africa where it was first detected, WHO-Africa said Thursday.
In its weekly online press briefing, the regional office for Africa of the World Health Organization also insisted on the need to improve immunization coverage on the continent, which on average remains very low.
Africa recorded more than 107,000 new cases of COVID-19 during the week ending December 5 (up from 55,000 the previous week), with Omicron’s share of the increase yet to be determined. Southern Africa recorded the largest increase, averaging 140%.
Initial data from South Africa indicate that the variant “Omicron could cause less severe forms of the disease,” said WHO-Africa in a press release issued in conjunction with the briefing. In fact, between November 14 and December 4, the occupancy rate of intensive care hospital beds was only 6.3%.
According to the same source, “Africa currently accounts for 46% of the nearly 1,000 cases of Omicron reported by 57 countries around the world.” So far, ten African countries have reported cases of this variant.
WHO-Africa reiterated in its press briefing its disagreement with the travel bans, decreed “by more than 70 countries, which mainly target the countries of southern Africa”, measures according to it ineffective and unfair with regard to countries that have been “transparent with their data”.
The WHO regional office also recalled that only 7.8% of Africans were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A “dangerous situation which cannot continue”, judged the Dr Richard Mihigo, WHO-Africa immunization program coordinator.
The continent’s vaccine supply continues to improve, he said. We must now make progress in the “deployment” and administration of vaccines, in particular to the most vulnerable people.
A new vaccine supply system will be put in place, which will be more suited to the needs and capacities of countries to use them, said Dr.r Mihigo, questioned about the non-use by some countries of all the doses received, some ending up being expired and thrown away.
Among the countries furthest behind in immunization programs, the Dr Mihigo cited Chad, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “We are working with these countries to increase their immunization capacity,” he said.