The WHO believes that Africa can control the coronavirus pandemic in 2022

If current trends continue and the rate of vaccination continues to increase, Africa “can control the coronavirus pandemic in 2022”, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said today.

“The pandemic is entering a different phase. (…) The virus will continue among us, but with the vaccines and the accumulated experience we will be able to minimize the severity of the waves of infections”Moeti said in a video press conference.

Against all odds, including huge inequalities in access to vaccines, (Africa) has weathered the COVID-19 with resilience, determination and the long experience of the continent in the control of outbreaks (of diseases)”, added the doctor.

Still, Moeti acknowledged that Africa it has paid a high price, “with more than 242,000 deaths and tremendous damage to our economies.”

Moeti celebrated the lessons learned from the continent, which “has become more adept, faster and better prepared to respond to each increase in cases”, facts that allowed the latest waves of infections to be much shorter than the previous ones.

“Although covid-19 will be with us for the long term, there is light at the end of the tunnel. This year we can end the disruption and destruction the virus has left in its wake and take back control of our lives.” added the head of the WHO for Africa.

Since the pandemic began, the number of laboratories in Africa able to detect the COVID-19 has increased from two to more than 900, and the number of oxygen production plants grew by 60%.

Also, while Africa In 2020, it only had eight beds for every million people in intensive care units, currently it has 20 beds for every million inhabitants.

But nevertheless, Africa It is still the continent with the fewest people vaccinated against coronavirus -around 11% of the adult population has received the full regimen-, but Moeti celebrated that, compared to last year, African countries are now receiving “a constant supply of doses”.

Since February 14, 2020, when Egypt reported the first infection of coronavirus detected on African soil, the continent has recorded 242,000 deaths and nearly 11 million cases of COVID-19.

Furthermore, according to World Bank data, the coronavirus pandemic has pushed 40 million Africans into extreme poverty.

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