Rife COVID-19 variants fuel Africa’s surging wave
As COVID-19 case numbers in Africa climb faster than all earlier peaks, new and faster spreading variants are fuelling the continent’s surging third wave.
Read moreNews Releases
Africa faces steepest COVID-19 surge yet
Africa is facing a fast-surging third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, with cases spreading more rapidly and projected to soon overtake the peak of the second wave the continent witnessed at the start of 2021.
Read moreCOVID-19 cases surge in Africa, near first wave peak
COVID-19 cases in Africa are surging by over 20% week-on-week as the continent's third wave gains pace and nears the first wave peak of more than 120 000 weekly cases recorded in July 2020, new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows.
Read moreDrop in blood donations add to maternal health threats in Africa
Just half of the blood needed for transfusion each year in the African region is collected, leaving many facing life-threatening shortages. The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the shortfall, with donations dropping by 17% over the past year.
Read moreBlood donation rate falls in Africa in wake of COVID-19 pandemic
Blood donation has fallen by 17% in the African region in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused widespread disruptions to key health services, lives and livelihoods.
Read moreNine in 10 African countries set to miss urgent COVID-19 vaccination goal
As COVID-19 cases in Africa rise for the third week running and vaccines are increasingly scarce, 47 of Africa’s 54 countries—nearly 90%—are set to miss the September target of vaccinating 10% of their people unless Africa receives 225 million more doses.
Read moreOver 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in Angola
Angola has reached the milestone of more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered after receiving the first doses from COVAX, a partnership between Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI )and WHO, which aims to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines against COVID-19, worldwide.
Read moreRisk of COVID-19 surge threatens Africa’s health facilities
As the risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases increases, African countries must urgently boost critical care capacity to prevent health facilities from being overwhelmed. This comes as vaccine shipments to the continent grind to a near halt.
Read more