Africa is seeing the worst of situations amid rising Delta variant cases in the continent. The WHO said that the third Covid wave is making its destructive pathway in the African continent.
COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Continue to Rise in Africa
Africa is witnessing a surge in its COVID-19 infections as the pandemic’s third wave is around the corner. The WHO’s regional director for the African continent said that the Delta variant is now present in more than 21 countries in the mainland. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the regional director also highlighted the fact that they have seen a 43 percent surge in the number of COVID-19 deaths in the continent in past weeks. The Delta variant is a quite concerning variant that is spreading its legs very fast in the African continent.
COVID-19 Delta Variant Responsible for the Surge in Cases
Dr. Moeti said that Africa has recorded over a million fresh COVID-19 cases over the past month. This is indeed the shortest time the African continent has taken to witness a million cases. However, the reason behind the surge is the COVID-19 Delta variant which is spreading very fast in the continent. Besides that, Dr. Moeti is quite worried as the deaths have increased and so many people are losing their lives. On the other hand, the health care system in several African countries has collapsed really badly.
Various Countries in Africa are Facing Shortage of Beds and Vaccines
Several African countries including South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia are facing extreme ICU beds shortage. There are no beds available in the hospitals as the cases continue to rise. Moreover, oxygen manufacture remains the first priority for countries in the African continent. Besides that, the continent’s vaccination rate is also very slow. The African continent is home to several middle and low-income countries that depend on facilities such as COVAX and GAVI to provide COVID-19 vaccines.
The WHO-led COVAX facility is providing COVID-19 vaccines to several countries in Africa. Moreover, the US, UK, and other countries have also donated vaccines to these low-income countries. However, still there is a long way to go.
