Health organizations warn: Third corona wave hits Africa

Status: 10.06.2021 6:57 p.m.

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In Africa the number of new infections is increasing, in South Africa it has doubled within 24 hours. The African Union appeals to states to prepare their treatment centers for the third wave.

Africa is currently being hit by a new wave of corona infections. “The continent is going through a third wave right now, there is no doubt about that,” said John Nkengasong of the African Union (AU) health organization, the Africa CDC.

It is high time for the individual states to prepare their treatment centers for this. “We also need increased monitoring to identify the hotspots before they become problematic,” warned the head of the agency.

Numbers doubled in South Africa in 24 hours

The corona virus has so far spread relatively slowly on the continent. According to the CDC, a total of around 4.9 million infections have been documented in Africa. According to the information, there have been around 133,000 deaths. Even if, according to experts, the number of unreported cases on the continent with its 1.3 billion people is likely to be higher, the total number has so far been rather low compared to other regions of the world.

According to the CDC, the continent is now recording increasing values ​​in the number of proven new corona cases, with the exception of West Africa. The number of infections in South Africa had recently more than doubled within 24 hours – almost 9,000 people tested positive. The numbers had been rising slowly for the past two weeks. It is now said from all parts of the country that the hospitals are filling up and the situation is becoming more tense.

WHO: Many countries will probably miss the vaccination target

When it comes to vaccinations, South Africa lags behind other countries on the continent, with just 2.5 percent of the population having received their full dose or at least the first injection. But the vaccination target could also be missed in most other African countries, fears the World Health Organization (WHO). According to their estimates, around 90 percent of African countries will not be able to vaccinate at least ten percent of their residents against the corona virus by September as planned.

Only seven of the 54 countries are expected to meet the target, said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti. An additional 225 million vaccine doses were missing. Moeti appealed to states that were able to urgently provide vaccination doses.