By John Ikani
Africa is witnessing a significant drop in the Omicron Variant-powered fourth wave of Covid-19 despite low vaccination rates.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first detected, had seen cases trending downward over the past four weeks.
Only North Africa reported an increase in cases last week, “with a 55 percent spike”, it said in a statement issued after its weekly press briefing.
The WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, however, warned, that “the continent has yet to turn the tables on this pandemic. So long as the virus continues to circulate, further pandemic waves are inevitable.”
She said the world’s poorest continent should “not only broaden vaccinations but also gain increased and equitable access to critical Covid-19 therapeutics to save lives and effectively combat this pandemic.”
What you should know
Only 10 per cent of the African population are fully vaccinated.
The continent, with a population of 1.2 billion, has been relatively unharmed by the pandemic, reporting 234,913 deaths from 10.5 million cases, according to AFP tallies.
Omicron-dominated fourth wave of the virus recorded a 56-day flareup which the WHO regional office described as the “shortest upsurge yet.”
New cases dropped by 20 per cent in the week to Sunday, while notified deaths plummeted by eight per cent.
