Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Good morning, good afternoon, bonjour and welcome to all the journalists joining this press conference.
Today we will discuss the latest trends in COVID-19 cases and vaccination in the African Region, and also provide an update on the monkeypox situation as it pertains to countries on the continent.
I am really pleased to be joined for this important conversation by Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, the Director of Public Health in Uganda’s Ministry of Health, who will discuss his country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to the most at-risk groups, which quickly increased the number of people reached since the beginning of the year.
We are also joined by Professor Emmanuel Nakoune-Yandoko, the Director of the Laboratory for Arboviruses, Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Emerging Viruses and Zoonoses at the Institut Pasteur in the Central African Republic; and Dr Peter Fonjungo, the US Centers for Disease Control’s Country Director in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A very warm welcome to all to all of my fellow panelists.
Professor Nakoune-Yandoko and Dr Fonjungo will provide an update on monkeypox vaccine research, and what it means for Africa.
Africa’s reported COVID-19 cases have now reached just under 12 million, and about 254 400 lives have been lost.
We observed a marginal increase in the number of new cases last week, following a sustained three-week decline. This could well be a reflection of the easing of public health measures across countries, or possibly some of the northern countries’ people travelling more.
However, at this stage weekly incidence remains relatively low compared to previous waves of the pandemic.
I am also pleased to be able to share some promising results from the concerted efforts of African countries to urgently step up COVID-19 vaccination coverage amongst their most at-risk people.
Indeed, the first five months of 2022 have seen significant increases in vaccination rates for these groups in 31 African countries. For example, nearly half of all health workers, and people aged over 60 years, are now fully vaccinated in these countries.
While that’s still far short of the WHO recommendation of 90% vaccination coverage for health workers, and 80% for over 60s and those who are at highest risk, it is a notable improvement on where these countries were at the end of 2021.
You may recall that, at that time, only 33% of health workers and 10% of older people over 60 years of age were fully vaccinated, living at considerable risk for contracting COVID-19, but also for severe illness and death.
I’d like to acknowledge what can only be described as an impressive turnaround. Following a year beset with poor access to doses, costly delays and shortfalls in 2021, African governments have done well, on the whole, to maximize this year’s increased vaccine availability to protect their populations.
But I do want to encourage them to keep up, and even accelerate the pace. I know that as many as 31 countries have planned mass vaccination campaigns for the second half of 2022, and we look forward to further improvements going forward.
WHO is also collaborating with partners to deliver multi-partner country support to 14 African countries with COVID-19 vaccination coverage lower than 10%. If these countries are at risk, we are all at risk, so we need to do everything possible to ensure they don’t fall further behind.
We are also helping to strengthen their management of COVID-19 vaccination data. This is no small task given that many of these countries are also grappling with humanitarian crises and/or other diseases outbreaks.
Turning to monkeypox, I can confirm that there are now a total of 1900 confirmed cases in 39 countries across the globe, including eight African countries. Of those countries in Africa, monkeypox cases have been previously reported in six.
There have been 36 confirmed cases in Nigeria, 10 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, eight in the Central African Republic, three each in Benin and Cameroon, and two in the Republic of Congo.
Ghana and Morocco, which have not previously recorded cases of monkeypox, now have five and one confirmed cases respectively.
Additionally, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Uganda – all countries with no previous incidence – have also reported suspected cases.
This is clearly an unusual situation, that is affecting more and more countries. So soon after the inequities Africa experienced in respect of the COVID-19 response, we recognize of course, that we cannot afford any potential repeat, and need to be adequately prepared.
So, WHO is convening an Emergency Committee on monkeypox next Thursday, the 23rd of June, to assess whether this outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.
However, as WHO in Africa, we are already ramping up support to countries to urgently increase testing capacity for monkeypox, and are in the process of procuring thousands of tests for the continent.
As far as a vaccine is concerned, one of the newer and safer smallpox vaccines has been approved for the prevention of monkeypox. Although we are certainly not recommending mass vaccination at this stage, we must ensure that we are ready should the need arise.
Global stocks are extremely limited at this stage. But we are working closely with Member States and partners on a coordination mechanism to ensure fair access to both vaccines and treatment.
Finally, I would like to share some views on a momentum to rethink pandemic preparedness on the continent. This is critical given what we are living through with COVID-19, and I welcome discussions on a way to protect African lives against pandemics.
Fifty-four African Member States are actively contributing to the new global architecture on pandemic preparedness and response. Given increasing global interconnectivity, which we have seen with COVID-19, this negotiation will determine how Africa will be protected from outbreaks arising elsewhere, and how to manage health emergencies originating on the continent.
As we know, viruses do not have borders.
I welcome the ongoing discussion on a continental pandemic declaration mechanism. It’s important to assess the benefits and the risks. An African pandemic treaty aims to make us less dependent on others, but it could also trigger more travel and trade restrictions, isolating Africa, as we’ve seen, for example, with the Omicron variant.
A significant number of African Member States believe it is in the interests of all countries that more consultations, reflection and analysis take place before any final decision is made on this matter, and WHO welcomes the opportunity for this discussion.
As we are part of one world, we should also look at what other continents are doing and know that, for the moment, we are leading in this thinking about declaring a continental outbreak.
We urge a collaborative and reflective process for determining how public health emergencies are declared, and we welcome consultations and discussions on this.
It is important to find the right balance between reacting quickly, and building a system that will stand the test of time.
So, I thank you for joining us, and I look forward very much to our discussions today.