The vaccination rate map with at least one dose from the Our World in Data website reveals the huge divide between poor and rich countries. Most African countries do not even reach 5% of the population vaccinated, and there are even states below 1%.
But while the map shows European countries, North America or some South American countries with high rates, when you look at Africa the scenario is bleak.
The director of the World Health Organization, continues to call on the international community to stop policies of “greed” and calling on rich countries to donate their excess vaccines rather than consider using them as boosters.
Leaving poor countries unvaccinated will ultimately affect the whole world, experts warn, as this is likely to prolong the pandemic, even for richer countries, as the virus continues to mutate and circulate.
Ghebreyesus had also previously argued that Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines, instead of prioritising countries with high vaccination coverage, should provide vaccines to the Covax mechanism (equitable and global vaccine distribution initiative) to Africa and poor countries with few vaccines yet.
He stressed that new vaccine manufacturing centres are needed and that pharmaceutical companies should share their licences and technology, highlighting the example of AstraZeneca, which has led the licensing of its vaccines around the world to increase production.
In addition to Europe, India and South Korea, there will be two more AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing sites, Japan and Australia, he said. He added: “We need other manufacturers to follow this example. Thousands of people continue to die every day and this deserves urgent action.”
Despite the increased prevalence of the more transmissible covid-19 delta variant, WHO officials said Monday at the press conference that the vaccines are effective and prevent hospitalisation and deaths. But they also said there is a “gap” between rhetoric and vaccine distribution around the world and that solidarity is not being seen.
The covid-19 pandemic has caused more than four million deaths worldwide, among more than 186 million cases of infection.
