The Covid-19 pandemic will continue into the year 2022, because low-income countries do not receive vaccines against the virus disease despite promises to donate 1.8 billion doses by wealthy nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and The People’s Vaccine initiative say, as reported by the British broadcaster BBC.
In 2021, the first Covid-19 vaccination year this far, less than 5% of Africa’s population have been vaccinated, compared to 40% on most other continents. The vast majority of Covid vaccines have been given in high-income or upper middle-income countries. Africa accounts for just 2.6% of doses administered globally.
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According to The People’s Vaccine group of charities, which includes Oxfam and UNAids, the G7 group of major countries and the EU have promised to donate 1.8 billion vaccine doses to low-income countries, and yet only 261 million vaccine doses have been delivered thus far.
Dr Bruce Aylward, senior leader at the WHO, has commented that it meant the Covid-19 crisis could «easily drag on deep into 2022». «I can tell you we’re not on track,» the WHO expert noted on the equal delivery of vaccine doses to every nation, as quoted by the BBC. «We really need to speed it up or you know what? This pandemic is going to go on for a year longer than it needs to.»
WHO: Insufficient vaccine deliveries to low-income countries mean longer pandemic
