Brazzaville – Deaths from COVID-19 in Africa have surged by 40% in the last month, pushing Africa’s death toll towards 100 000 since the first reported case on the continent on 14 February 2020. This comes as Africa battles new, more contagious variants and gears up for its largest-ever vaccination drive.

1. RisingmortalityasAfricamarksone year of COVID-19
11 February2021
Brazzaville –DeathsfromCOVID-19in Africahave surgedby40% inthe lastmonth,pushingAfrica’s
deathtoll towards100 000 since the firstreportedcase onthe continenton14 February2020. This
comesas Africabattlesnew,more contagiousvariantsandgearsupfor itslargest-evervaccination
drive.
Over22 300 deathswere reportedinAfricainthe last28 days,comparedwithnearly16 000 deaths
inthe previous28days. The continentisexpectedtoreach100 000 deathsin the comingdays.
Thirty-twocountriesreportedarise indeathsinthe last 28 days,while 21 reportedflatorfalling
rates.Africa’sCOVID-19fatalityrate rose to 3.7% duringthe last 28 dayscomparedto 2.4% in the
previous28 daysand isand is nowwell above the global average.
Thisspike inmortalitycomesasAfrica’ssecondwave of caseswhichbeganinOctober2020 seems
to have peakedon6 January2021. The secondwave spreadmuchfasterthan the firstand isfar
more lethal.
“The increasingdeathsfromCOVID-19we are seeingare tragic,butare alsodisturbingwarningsigns
that healthworkersandhealthsystemsinAfricaare dangerouslyoverstretched.Thisgrimmilestone
mustrefocuseveryone onstampingoutthe virus,”saidDrMatshidisoMoeti,WorldHealth
Organization(WHO) Regional DirectorforAfrica.
In the secondwave as casessurgedfar beyondthe peakexperiencedinthe firstwave,health
facilitieshave become overwhelmed.PreliminaryreportswhichWHOhas receivedfrom21
countriesshowthat66% reportedinadequate critical care capacity,24% reportedburnoutamong
healthworkersand15 countriesreportedthatoxygenproduction,crucial forseverelyill COVID-19
patients,remainsinsufficient.
The one-yearmilestone comesasthe continentfacesthe spreadof new strainsof virus.Variant
501Y.V2 (alsoknownas B1.351), firstidentifiedinSouthAfrica,hasbeendetectedineightAfrican
countries,whilethe VOC202012/01 variant(alsoknownas B1.1.7) initiallyidentifiedinthe United
Kingdomhasbeendetectedinsix countriesonthe continent.
ThisweekSouthAfricaannouncedthatitwill pause the roll-outof the Oxford/AstraZenecavaccine
because of a studyindicatingthatthe vaccine islesseffective inpreventingmildandmoderate
infectionwiththe 501Y.V2variant thatis dominantinthe country.
“Thisis obviouslyverydisappointingnews,butthe situationisverydynamic.While avaccine that
protectsagainstall formsof COVID-19isour biggesthope,preventingsevere caseswhich
overwhelmhospitalsiscrucial,”saidDrMoeti.“If casesremainmostlymildandmoderate anddon’t
require critical care thenwe can save many lives.So,mymessage is,gooutand getvaccinatedwhen
a vaccine becomesavailableinyourcountry.”
On 10 February2021, the StrategicAdvisoryGroupof ExpertsonImmunization,knownasSAGE,
stronglyrecommendedthatcountriesuse the AstraZenecavaccine,forprioritygroups,evenif
variantsare presentinacountry.
These preliminaryfindingshighlightthe urgentneedforacoordinatedapproachforsurveillance and
evaluationof variantsandtheirpotentialimpactonvaccine effectiveness.WHOwill continue to
monitorthe situationandprovide updatesasnew data become available.

2. Newvariantsare likelytoemerge asthe viruscontinuestospreadsopreventive measuresmustbe
maintainedevenasAfricagearsup to start vaccinationsagainstthe virus.
“The pandemicisfarfromover,and vaccinesare justone crucial tool inour fightagainstthe virus.
We mustboostinvestmentsandsupportforourhealthworkersandhealthsystemsbystickingto
maskwearing,regularhandcleaningandsafe social distancing,”saidDrMoeti.
Dr Moeti spoke duringavirtual pressconference todayfacilitatedbyAPOGroup.She wasjoinedby
Her ExcellencyDrHalaZaid,Ministerof Healthand Population,EgyptandProfessorPeterPiot,
Directorof the LondonSchool of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine,Professorof Global Healthand
Special Advisortothe Presidentof the EuropeanCommissiononCOVID-19.Alsoonhandto answer
questionswere DrRichardMihigo,ImmunizationandVaccine DevelopmentProgramme
Coordinator,WHORegional Office forAfrica,andDrNsengaNgoy,EmergencyResponseProgramme
Manager, WHO Regional OfficeforAfrica.