July 3, 2021

Anna Murray 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Delta, together with Alpha and Beta, is propelling an aggressive third wave across Africa, with infection case counts growing faster than all previous peaks. WHO specialists warned on July 1 that the number of positive cases had risen for six weeks in a row, with a 25 percent increase the previous week, bringing the total to 202,000. Deaths in 38 African countries have increased by 15% to approximately 3,000 people.

The Delta version of COVID-19 has spread to 16 countries and is present in three of the five countries reporting the worst caseloads, with cases doubling every three weeks in Africa. The Delta variation is the most contagious yet, with transmission rates up to 60% higher than other variants.

Eight vaccines have been approved for the WHO emergency use listing in response to escalating cases and hospitalizations across the continent; yet, only 15 million people, or 1.2 percent of the African population, are fully vaccinated.

As the Delta variant spreads across Africa, fears are emerging about a fast-growing new wave of COVID-19 infections across the continent due to a lack of vaccines. While Africa struggles with a devastating third wave of infections, the African Union special envoy tasked with coordinating attempts to acquire COVID-19 vaccinations for the continent is slamming Europe on July 1 that not a single dose or vial has left any European manufacturer for Africa.

Photo:webshot.