BRAZZAVILLE – Deaths from Covid-19 in Africa surged 40% over the last month, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday, as the continent’s toll approaches 100,000.
“Over 22,300 deaths were reported in Africa in the last 28 days, compared with nearly 16,000 deaths in the previous 28 days,” said the WHO Africa office based in the Republic of the Congo’s capital here.
“This comes as Africa battles new, more contagious variants, and gears up for its largest-ever vaccination drive,” said the United Nations agency in a statement after a virtual press conference.
The first Covid-19 infections in Africa were detected in February last year. More than 3.7 million cases have been recorded since, with 96,000 deaths, according to the latest figures released by WHO Africa yesterday.
“The continent is expected to reach 100,000 deaths in the coming days,” said the health body.
“The increasing deaths from Covid-19 we are seeing is tragic, and also a disturbing warning sign that health workers and health systems in Africa are dangerously overstretched,” said WHO’s Africa director, Matshidiso Moeti, in the statement.
Despite fears that it would be hit hard, Africa saw fewer cases than much of the rest of the world during the earlier phase of the pandemic.
“In the second wave, as cases surged far beyond the peak experienced in the first wave, health facilities have become overwhelmed,” said WHO.
With vaccine scepticism high in some parts of the continent, Moeti urged all Africans to “go out and get vaccinated when a vaccine becomes available in your country”. – AFP, February 12, 2021
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