Coronavirus: Africa s vaccination rollout off to slow start dw.com 13 hrs ago Antonio Cascais
Inoculations delivered to Africa through the World Health Organization-backed COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) scheme will not be enough to contain the pandemic, the Africa CDC, the African Union s public health body, has warned. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that so far, fewer than 2% of global vaccinations have been carried out on the continent.
Delivery issues and a sense of vaccine nationalism in richer countries partly explain this gap. Yet logistical problems are to blame, too, and inefficient management and failures to properly prioritize high-risk groups have made matters worse.
Relief in S. Africa as first vaccines arrive
Each country faces different challenges, she said. One big problem, however, remains in that poorer countries still have less access to vaccine doses in the first place. Kenya got a million doses and distributed them across the whole country, but in Nairobi people are getting turned away because they don t have enough, she said, pointing out that the country was originally supposed to have received some 1.5 million doses by now. The country has so far failed to vaccinate high-priority groups, such as health officials and teachers.
Distributing the vaccine is another issue, said Kyobutungi. She said Kenya tried to fairly distribute vaccine doses to all its regions, but failed because urban centers have far better infrastructural and organizational networks than rural regions. This meant that not all doses available in rural areas were used, while demand in the capital, Nairobi, far outweighed supply.
English By Lameck Masina Share on Facebook Print this page
BLANTYRE - Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera says he is saddened by statistics showing a recent spike in coronavirus infections in the country. In a Sunday radio address, he announced he was starting a 21-day fast to seek divine intervention into the pandemic that is on the rise again. Health experts say the situation needs more than prayers.
Malawi has recently seen a surge in coronavirus cases. Since Thursday, the country has been confirming more cases than ever recorded.
For example, on Saturday, Malawi recorded 381 cases with 12 deaths, the largest figure in a single day since it recorded its first three cases on April 2.
Print this page
BLANTYRE, MALAWI - Malawi has closed its borders after confirmed cases of COVID-19 jumped 75 percent in the past two weeks. Malawi authorities attribute the surge to relaxed preventive measures and increased cross-border traffic for the holidays. Health campaigners have welcomed the border closure, but say Malawi should also mandate face masks and sanitizers.
Malawi reopened its borders and eased restrictions on social gatherings in October following a drastic fall in numbers of confirmed COVID- 19 cases.
Dropping COVID-19 Infections in Malawi Breeds Complacency about Prevention
Experts believe the drop is a result of less testing
From a total of 1,065 active cases on October 3, the country’s total caseload dropped to just 30 as of December 11.
Malawi Re-introduces COVID-19 Restrictions as Cases Surge voanews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from voanews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.