Africa at the ‘tail-end’ of vaccine race
“As richer countries elbow their way to the front of the queue for COVID-19 vaccines, how soon can African countries hope to obtain supplies?”
News & Analysis: DRC
“As richer countries elbow their way to the front of the queue for COVID-19 vaccines, how soon can African countries hope to obtain supplies?”
“A survey conducted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has shown that a predominant majority (79% average) of respondents in Africa would take a COVID-19 vaccine if it were deemed safe and effective.”
“Different infectious disease outbreaks can have very different effects, largely unrelated to case numbers of the disease. Moderately lethal but highly transmissible viruses such as COVID-19 can trigger a steep economic downturn, especially in areas with high economic interconnectedness, reflecting both national and international policies to contain the pandemic.”
“Different infectious disease outbreaks can have very different effects, largely unrelated to case numbers of the disease. Moderately lethal but highly transmissible viruses such as COVID-19 can trigger a steep economic downturn, especially in areas with high economic interconnectedness, reflecting both national and international policies to contain the pandemic.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a 40% increase in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance around the globe, the United Nations said… as it appealed for roughly $35 billion to help many of those expected to be in need next year.”
“The Ebola vaccine developed by Merck also used ultra-cold equipment of about -70 oC and we were able to deploy that vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo to respond to the North Kivu outbreak where more than 300,000 people were immunized.”
“The World Health Organization has launched a new coronavirus safety awareness campaign targeting Africa’s youth population. The Mask Up campaign aims to reach over 40 million young people in Africa on social media by end of 2020.”
“Community health workers have been critical in risk communication, contact tracing, transporting supplies, and ensuring the continuity of essential services. Community health workers serve as the link between the community and the response team, which is important to building trust and encouraging the uptake of health interventions.”
“Lessons learnt from the Ebola outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo have shown that risk communications and community engagement are critical and should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination strategies.”
“New evidence suggests more moderate virus containment measures may be as effective in saving lives as stringent lockdowns – while saving economies.”