Difficult for Africa to survive COVID if it fails to increase vaccination speed: Study

New research suggests that it would be difficult for Africa to survive the ongoing pandemic if it fails to vaccinate 70% of its population by the end of 2022.   

Africa is lagging behind in terms of COVID-19 immunisation with only five of Africa's 54 countries on track to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of fully vaccinating 40% of the population by the end of 2021. The discovery of the Omicron variant in southern Africa has fueled suggestions that low vaccination rates can foster viral mutations, which can then spread to other nations, the study suggested.

According to data by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, that conducted the research, one in every 15 Africans has been fully vaccinated. Chairman of the Foundation, Mo Ibrahim said that their foundation and other African voices have been warning since the beginning of this crisis that an unvaccinated Africa might become a perfect incubator for variants.

'Only way ahead is to vaccinate the entire world': Mo Ibrahim

Ibrahim also believes that the development of Omicron proves that the COVID-19 is still a worldwide menace and that the only way ahead is to vaccinate the entire world. He emphasised that they continue to live in a world where vaccine discrimination is rampant, and Africa, in particular, is falling behind. 

Vaccines have been in short supply in Africa since wealthy countries obtained early contracts from pharmaceutical corporations and COVAX, according to the research of the foundation. Vaccine deliveries to Africa have increased in recent months, but the research claims that weak healthcare systems and limited infrastructure are preventing rollouts. The pandemic revealed the African continent's civil registration capacity, with only 10% of African deaths legally recorded. Because of the flaws in the system, it's possible that vaccination rates were considerably lower than official figures indicated, the research claimed.

According to the foundation's research, fragile social safety nets must be improved to protect the vulnerable. It noted that the average spending on COVID-19 response as a percentage of GDP excluding healthcare in Africa was 2.4%.

As Africa lacks behind the vaccines, the WHO has urged other countries to stop asking their citizens to take COVID-19 booster shots and save vaccines for those who need them.

(Image: AP)