The African regional director of the United Nations health agency said that the suspension of vaccination campaigns on the African continent would lead to “loss of life and loss of hope.”
The World Health Organization said on Thursday that if Africans were to get the first shot in time, Africa would need at least 20 million doses of AstraZeneca in six weeks.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement: “Africa now needs vaccines.”
“Any pause in our vaccination campaign will result in loss of life and loss of hope.”
The WHO statement emphasizes that the recommended interval of 8 to 12 weeks between dosing must be observed to ensure that recipients have an 81% prolonged protection rate.
The statement added: “In addition to this urgent need, another 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine listed on the World Health Organization’s emergency use list need to be added so that the African continent can provide 10% of its population by September 2021. Vaccine.”
“#Africa demand #Coronavirus disease Get vaccinated now. Any pause in our vaccination campaign will result in loss of life and loss of hope. “-Doctor @MoetiTshidi
—WHO Africa Region (@WHOAFRO) May 27, 2021
As of May 26, Africa has registered 4.7 million cases of the coronavirus, of which nearly 130,000 have died from the virus.
In addition, the head of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) called on the international community to provide Africa with the required number of vaccine doses, considering this to be a “collective safety issue.”
“We have not won the vaccine war in Africa,” said John Enkengasson, director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a weekly news conference held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Thursday.
“Forty-three million doses of vaccine have been obtained, [of which] He said that 23 million doses have been taken.
Africa’s vaccination campaign to fight COVID-19 Also facing delays As India imposed an export ban on India, the main supplier of AstraZeneca vaccines, this is a UN-supported plan aimed at providing 2 billion doses of vaccine to the world’s 92 poorest countries this year. India has halted vaccine exports in response to the severe recovery of the disease.
“Interest of all countries”-Prime Minister of France
In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that shipping the COVID-19 vaccine to Africa is not only a moral obligation, but also beneficial to Europe and the world to prevent new virus mutations.
Macron said in a trip to Rwanda that France is expected to provide 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Africa by the end of the year, Germany will also provide 30 million doses, and the EU will provide more than 100 doses of vaccine. 1 million doses were injected into Africa this year.
Macron said during a visit to the French Vaccination Center: “Helping Africa to vaccinate…First of all, it is the responsibility of unity. It is also very simple……It is in the interests of all European countries and all countries in the world.” Kigali was on a state visit. period.
He said that if all countries are not vaccinated, the virus will continue to spread and develop new variants.
