World Health Organization - The African Mirror

Feb

2021

South Africa to roll out AstraZeneca vaccine in steps to assess efficacy

JOHN REVILL SOUTH Africa will roll out AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in a "stepped manner" to assess its ability to prevent severe illness, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, co-chair of South Africa's Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, said yesterday. South Africa said on Sunday it would put on hold its use of the AstraZeneca shot after research showing it was only minimally effective in preventing mild-to-moderate illness against a variant of the coronavirus now dominant in the country. Professor Salim Abdool Karim Speaking to a briefing of the World Health Organization (WHO), Abdool Karim said it was too early to say whether…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

1.8 billion vaccine doses for the poor

COVID-19

KATE KELLAND THE COVAX vaccine sharing platform designed to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 shots said it aimed to deliver 1.8 billion doses to poorer countries in 2021 and hoped to fulfil supply deals for wealthier ones in the second half of the year. But COVAX, which is co-led by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and others, said there were many uncertainties affecting the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines, and terms of the deals were "subject to change". The 1.8 billion doses would be supplied via an advance market commitment (AMC) to 92 eligible countries…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Liberia’s Johnson Sirleaf discouraged by COVID vaccine roll-out plan

COVID-19

THE World Health Organization's pandemic review panel co-chair Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed disappointment in COVID-19 vaccine roll-out plans which she said means shots will not be widely available in Africa until 2022 or 2023. "The panel is discouraged and frankly disappointed by the unequal plans for vaccine rollout," the former Liberian president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate told an Executive Board meeting of the WHO.

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO worried COVID “amnesia” will lead to another pandemic

COVID-19

THE world risked future pandemics if it suffered "amnesia" and did not learn from the current coronavirus crisis, a World Health Organization's top emergency expert has warned. "I have seen the amnesia that seems to descend upon the world after a traumatic event, and that's understandable," Mike Ryan told a briefing in Geneva. "But if we do this again like we did after SARS, like we did after H5N1, like we did after H1N1 pandemic, if we continue to ignore the realities of what emerging and dangerous pathogens can do to our civilization, then we are likely to experience the…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO says vaccinating 20% of Latin America and Caribbean to cost more than $2 billion

WORLD

ANTHONY BOADLE VACCINATING 20% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean against COVID-19 will cost more than $2 billion but low-income countries will be helped by the COVAX Facility led by the World Health Organization, its regional branch said on Wednesday. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), COVAX aims to deploy at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021. "This is a remarkable figure. But we also know that it won't be sufficient to vaccinate everyone, at least not at first," , PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa said. PAHO is working…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Life and livelihoods go together in fighting COVID-19, says WHO

COVID-19

THE World Health Organization (WHO) says the challenge of the coronavirus was not a choice between life and livelihoods, but that they were both part of the same fight. It also said there was no time for complacency in confronting the coronavirus despite positive news about possible vaccines. "The quickest way to open up economies is to defeat the virus," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing in Geneva. He said G20 leaders would meet this weekend, giving them an opportunity to commit financially and politically to the COVAX global facility, set up to provide COVID-19 vaccines to…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Vaccine alliance secures $2 bln to fund COVID shots for poor nations

COVID-19

KATE KELLAND and STEPHANIE NEBEHAY A facility set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the GAVI vaccine group has exceeded an interim target of raising more than $2 billion to buy and distribute COVID-19 shots for poorer countries but said it still needs more. The GAVI alliance has announced that the funds for an advance market commitment (AMC) will allow the COVAX facility to buy an initial one billion vaccine doses for 92 eligible countries which would not otherwise be able to afford them. "We've seen sovereign and private donors from across the world dig deep and meet…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Botswana signs agreement with global vaccine scheme for 20% of population

COVID-19

BOTSWANA has signed an agreement with the global vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the World Health Organization, giving it the option to buy coronavirus vaccines for 20% of its population, a senior health official told Reuters. The southern African country has registered a relatively low number of coronavirus cases, around 7,800 with 27 deaths, but its economy has been dealt a severe blow by the pandemic. Unlike many other African countries, Botswana does not qualify for subsidised vaccines under the COVAX scheme because it is classified as an upper middle income country like neighbours Namibia and South Africa. Botswana made…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO scheme may compensate people in poor countries against COVID vaccine side-effects

COVID-19

A vaccine scheme co-led by the World Health Organization is setting up a compensation fund for people in poor nations who might suffer any side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to allay fears that could hamper a global rollout of shots. The scheme is being set up by the promoters of the COVAX vaccine facility, which is co-led by the WHO and GAVI, a vaccine alliance, a COVAX document published on Thursday said. The scheme could foot the bill for 92 low-income countries, meaning their governments would temporarily not be liable for claims from patients should anything go unexpectedly wrong. However,…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO warning: World at critical juncture, some countries on “dangerous track”

COVID-19

THE world is now at a critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic and some countries are on a dangerous path, facing the prospect of health services collapsing under the strain, the head of the World Health Organization has warned. "We are at a critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the Northern hemisphere," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. "The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track." "We urge leaders to take immediate action, to prevent further unnecessary deaths, essential health services from collapsing and schools…