Africa’s COVID-19 cases hit 2.2m – WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said on Tuesday there are currently 2.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on the continent.

The United Nations health agency disclosed this on its regional official Twitter handle – @WHOAFRO.

WHO added that there are 1.9 million recoveries and 53,000 deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

The WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, who spoke on the development at the agency’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, urged countries across the world to prioritise the vaccination of health workers and others at risk of COVID-19 infections.

He said priority should also be given to the elderly and people at high risk of serious disease in administering the COVID-19 vaccine.

The WHO chief said: “People at highest risk of serious disease or death as a result of age are also a high priority group because protecting them will reduce severe disease and death and take the burden off health systems.

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“As supply of COVID-19 vaccine increases, the next groups would include those who have higher risk of severe disease because of their underlying conditions, and marginalised groups at higher risk.

“The recommendations are based on the so-called Values Framework and Population Prioritisation Roadmap, issued by a WHO advisory group on immunisation.

“In the initial stages of rollout, with only a small proportion of a country’s population immunised, it’s vital that governments, communities, and individuals continue using proven public health tools.”

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