COVID-19: Six of the ten highest rates of increase are in Africa as countries reel from deadly second wave
Malawi has the world’s second highest rate of increasing cases with the number doubling in just twelve days
We must show solidarity because no one is safe until everyone is safe, urges Save the Children
Nairobi, 27 January 2021 – Save the Children is warning that the lives of thousands of children across Africa are at risk as the hard-hitting second wave of COVID-19 surges across the continent. The agency fears many African countries will be forced to wait months before they can vaccinate even the most vulnerable people and essential frontline health workers, deeply impacting the lives of children.
COVID-19: Focus and funds must pivot to Africa as countries reel from deadly second wave
Format
Nairobi, 27 January 2021 – Save the Children is warning that the lives of thousands of children across Africa are at risk as the hard-hitting second wave of COVID-19 surges across the continent. The agency fears many African countries will be forced to wait months before they can vaccinate even the most vulnerable people and essential frontline health workers, deeply impacting the lives of children.
Africa has six of the top ten countries with the fastest increase in the numbers of confirmed cases[1]. The continent’s COVID-19 mortality rate is also now higher than the global average, marking a grim development from previous phases of the virus. The case fatality rate across Africa is now at 2.5 percent, above the global average of 2.2 percent[2], with the rapid spread of the highly contagious South African variant of particular concern.