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December 15,2021
Anna Murray
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, stated during a year-end press conference on December 14 that there have been approximately 9 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 225,000 verified deaths in Africa as a result of the pandemic.
On December 14, the WHO issued a warning that the Omicron form was spreading at an unprecedented rate and was likely already present in the majority of countries. Over 2,700 Omicron occurrences have been documented in over 60 countries worldwide, with 11 of them occurring in Africa, accounting for roughly one-third of the total. The previous week saw a significant increase in COVID-19 cases across Africa, with an 83 percent increase across the continent and a 66 percent increase in South Africa. The death toll is lower than in previous waves.
As of December 13, only 20 African countries had vaccinated at least 10% of their population. Only six countries have met their goal of fully immunizing 40% of their populations by the end of 2021, with Mauritius and Seychelles reaching 70%.
WHO encourages African countries to expand immunization sites outside of health facilities and major cities, as well as to use community-based interventions to increase vaccine coverage. Vaccine dosage distribution in Africa is becoming more consistent. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, if Africa accelerates immunization, the pandemic can be contained and many lives saved.