The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Africa has supported the use of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, even in countries with variants of the disease.
“While a vaccine that protects against all forms of Covid-19 disease is our greatest hope, preventing serious cases and hospitalizations that overwhelm hospitals and health systems is crucial,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. briefing Thursday.
The second wave of Covid-19 in Africa, which peaked in January, was more deadly than the first wave, according to Dr. Moeti. “Deaths have increased by 40% in the last 28 days compared to the previous 28 days,” he noted.
The rise in deaths on the continent has left health workers and health systems “dangerously excessive,” he said.
With the launch of vaccines, “if the cases remain mild and moderate and do not require critical care, we can save many lives,” Dr. Moeti added.
In addition to the increase in deaths, Covid-19 variants are spreading across the continent, and seven other countries are now reporting the B.1.351 variant that was first detected in South Africa, including Ghana. , Kenya, Comoros, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia.
It was found that two people who traveled from Tanzania to the UK were carrying the variant linked to South Africa, although Tanzania has not updated Covid-19 data since late April and denies that the virus exists in the country. .
Vaccines are not yet widely administered in Africa, but the WHO expects substantial implantations to begin in March.
Separately, the WHO recognized two fatalities in a new Ebola outbreak in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 200 contacts are being tracked.