Vaccination and natural immunity should reduce the number of deaths from coronavirus by more than 90% according to the WHO.
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After a “catastrophic balance sheet” in 2021, this year promises to be much more reassuring regarding Covid-19. Modeling by the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts a significant decrease in severe forms on the African continent. The UN agency, however, believes that the fight against the virus is not over.
Covid-19 will kill fewer people in 2022, as new modeling from the World Health Organization points out. The analysis predicts 23,000 deaths throughout the year if nothing changes in terms of the variants and their mode of transmission. We are a long way from the 350,000 deaths of 2021, the deadliest year on the African continent due to the Delta variant, more infectious and more serious than the previous ones.
“The low number of deaths expected this year is a great achievement for the region and a testament to the efforts of countries and partners.”
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.in a press release
The decline in fatal cases is due in particular to vaccination and immunity acquired during previous infections. Even if the latter does not prevent reinfections, it provides protection against serious forms of the disease which can lead to death, as the WHO points out, based on the analysis of the British scientific journal The Lancet.
Despite encouraging findings, the WHO emphasizes that the threat of new variants remains real. The organization is thus relying on a targeted response (vaccine) with the identification of the populations most at risk. The vaccination rate in Africa is the lowest in the world. Only 16% of people are fully vaccinated.