COVAX aims to ship 520 million doses to Africa by the end of 2021. COVID-19 vaccine deliveries聽from the African Union鈥檚 Africa Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) are picking up, with a聽projected rise to 10 million each month from September. Around 45 million doses are expected from AVAT by the year鈥檚 end. 聽

So far, almost 79 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have arrived in Africa and 21 million people, or just 1.6% of Africa鈥檚 population, are fully vaccinated. High-income countries have given 61 times more doses per person than low-income countries. To fully vaccinate 30% of Africa鈥檚 population by the end of 2021, the continent needs up to 820 million doses, considering a two-dose schedule.

Africa is still in the throes of a third wave. The limited slowdown in cases is heartening and cause for a very cautious optimism, but we are far from out of the woods yet. We must all stay vigilant.

鈥淭here鈥檚 light at the end of the tunnel on vaccine deliveries to Africa but it must not be snuffed out again. I urge all countries with surplus doses to聽urgently share more in the spirit of life-saving solidarity and enlightened self-interest, because no country is safe until all countries are safe. I urge African countries to gear up and get ready, as our drought聽is聽finally ending,鈥� said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa.

Tanzania聽has kicked聽off its COVID-19 vaccination campaign聽after receiving the first delivery of around 1 million聽doses, a donation聽of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine聽from the United States Government, through COVAX on 24 July. Tanzania joined COVAX on 15 June.聽聽

COVAX recently clinched new deals with Sinopharm and Sinovac to rapidly supply 110 million more doses to low-income countries. COVAX and the World Bank are set to further boost COVID-19 vaccine supply for developing countries through a new聽cost-sharing聽arrangement that聽allows low-income countries to purchase doses beyond the fully donor-subsidized doses they are already receiving from COVAX.

The rise in vaccine shipments comes as Africa sees its second week of falling case numbers after a steep and unbroken eight-week surge. Reported case numbers fell by 18% from over 282 000 to 230 500 in the聽week ending on 25 July. The decline was largely driven by South Africa, which accounts for 37% of all reported cases, and Tunisia, which accounts for 8%.聽聽

Twenty-two African countries saw cases rise by over 20% for at least two weeks running in the聽week to 25 July聽and reported deaths rose in 17 African countries to nearly 6300 on the continent聽in the same week.聽The聽highly transmissible Delta variant has been found in聽26聽African countries. The Alpha variant has been detected in聽38 countries and Beta variant in 35.聽

鈥淎frica is still in the throes of a third wave. The limited slowdown in cases is heartening and cause for a very cautious optimism, but we are far from out of the woods yet. We must all stay vigilant. One third of all African countries are still living through a dangerous resurgence and we must stick with the prevention measures that we know save lives, like mask wearing, good hand hygiene and physical distancing,鈥� said Dr Moeti.聽聽聽

Dr Moeti spoke during a virtual press conference today with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.