Africa suffers from a lack of supply needed for the 24/7 struggle against the ubiquitous COVID-19 virus. The third wave of the infection hits the continent, the World Health Organization said.
Africa’s governments face alarming shortages of funds and vaccines against the COVID-19, said the German Development Minister Gerd Müller who arrived Western part of the continent for a weeklong tour.
In Lome, Togo’s capital, a shortage of vaccines and medical equipment poses a threat to the residents. Mr Müller came with a donation of 30 ventilators and more than 5,000 oximeters to help support the country’s efforts to combat the infection.
On his trip, which includes stops in the Gambia, Sierra Leone and Senegal, the German official hopes to gain a deeper insight into the situation. In poor continent, the social and economic impacts of the pandemic are really devastating, Africa needs urgent assistance.
The WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that the global drop in infection rates masks a worrying increase in cases and deaths in many countries, especially in Africa. Over the recent months, the steep increase in Africa is especially concerning because it is the region with the least access to vaccines, diagnostics and oxygen.
The armed conflicts deteriorate the health crisis
The continuous armed conflicts in Ethiopia, Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are exacerbating the situation substantially. The civilian population sometimes has no access to medicine. In East Africa, the number of new daily cases has shot up in the past month and had reached significantly.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi warned of a “fatal third wave” and told people to be cautious, limiting gatherings to 20 people and shutting down nightclubs.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports on more than 35,000 COVID-19 cases have been registered in the DRC so far and 845 people have died. However, the numbers are rising at an alarming pace. On June 15, Health Ministry reported more than 8,400 new cases. There have been over 58,000 deaths so far in DRC.
