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Our NEW #INFOGRAPHIC of the month is here! As usual our focus is #Africa's response to #COVID19 - incl. data on #vaccines, #testing & #socialdistancing.
The headline:
25 African countries don't yet have vaccine orders. Is this a problem or not?
#THREAD 1/ https://developmentreimagined.com/2021/02/04/africanvaccineordersproblem/
The headline:
25 African countries don't yet have vaccine orders. Is this a problem or not?
#THREAD 1/ https://developmentreimagined.com/2021/02/04/africanvaccineordersproblem/
We start with the global context of #COVID19, and where #African countries fit in. Despite "second" and now "third" waves of COVID19, African countries still account for less than 4% of global cases and deaths, and almost 5% of recoveries. That's the good news. 2/
The bad news follows. Different countries and regions are being impacted differently by new "waves" of #COVID19, and having to shift responses constantly. This takes effort. It's hard to focus on other challenges. 3/
But it is this vigilance which has helped prevent higher cases. Only 10 #African countries account for 83% of all #COVID19 cases on the continent. But countries with highest numbers of active cases or highest recovery dates change every month. Consistency is necessary. 4/
#Testing is also necessary - to open up borders and economies - and tests do continue to rise steadily, with #Africa's governments completing over 30 million #COVID19 tests over the past year. But this is a tiny amount - under 2% of the world's total. Access has not been easy. 5/
Added to this the new work to find #vaccines. A determined 7 African countries have now received some vaccine doses. But 20 are still waiting for orders, and 25 appear to be struggling to make any orders. #China is helping with free vaccines - but so far only to 3 countries. 6/
The #COVID19 #vaccine doses delivered or ordered are not distributed equally. 61% are going to the countries who have suffered most #COVID19 cases - #Egypt, #Morocco, #SouthAfrica. But they also represent some of #Africa's richest countries - poorer countries are far behind. 7/
Adequate distribution within countries is also a new challenge. Of the countries that have ordered #vaccines, 10 do not have enough for 20% of citizens - incl. #Nigeria, #Africa's most populous country. Only 3 #African countries can vaccinate over 40% of citizens. 8/
But many #African governments are, as usual, working hard. They are reaching out to multiple #vaccine suppliers, and the @_AfricanUnion is also helping with providing 14% of orders so far through a new initiative - the same amount that #COVAX has agreed to cover. @AfricaCDC 9/
Indeed, the new orders by the pooled @_AfricanUnion initiative #AVATT - including 400 from #India's Serum Institute - accounts for 67% of doses expected to arrive on the continent. Total doses ordered so far are equivalent to doses for 37% of #Africa's population. 10/
This is progress, but still slow. The @AfricaCDC aspiration is 60% vaccination. Thus, border controls & #socialdistancing will have to continue, which they are in most #African nations. For instance, 23 African countries still have curfews& restrictions on public gatherings 11/
It is important now for #African governments and @_AfricanUnion to plan for a scenario in which #COVID19 #vaccine access is as slow as testing access has been. In this case, who gets tested first in #African will be highly critical. Check back next month to find out more. 12/END
