Only 7 percent of Africans are vaccinated
The continent welcomes the pandemic better than Western industrial societies
Far fewer new COVID-19 infections are currently reported in Africa than in Europe. But the danger still looms over the continent, with only 7 percent of the 1.3 billion population fully vaccinated.
If statistics are to be believed, the trend in Africa is that the pandemic is much lower. According to the Office for Epidemics of the African Union, 8.5 million cases have been reported so far, of which 220,000 have died.
However, there are probably many hidden cases. “We estimate that less than 15% of cases of infection are registered on the continent,” said Stefan Exo-Kreischer, director of the humanitarian organization ONE. According to him, there are seven times more people infected in Africa than the statistics show.
Scientists point to several factors that determine the weakness of the coronavirus in Africa. First, the continent’s population is very young – the average age is 20 years compared to Western Europe, where the average age is 43. Second, in Africa most people live in small villages rather than in large cities, where the pandemic is spreading faster. . Africans also spend a lot more time outdoors, which also reduces the risk of infection. Several scientific studies are currently addressing the question of whether any genetic predispositions and other diseases play a role.
Moreover, strange as it may seem, the continent was better prepared for the pandemic than Western industrial societies. Africans have experience in dealing with epidemics even without vaccines, explains Christian Happi of Reedemer University in Nigeria. According to him, the wide network in which the local health authorities are connected is crucial.
Doctors in Zimbabwe are happy that the numbers are not alarming at the moment. At the same time, Dr. Johannes Marisa, chairman of one of the local medical unions, fears a new wave could hit his country hard in December. “Our negligence can ruin us. Because the new wave can hit us like thunder from a clear sky, “says the doctor.
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