Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in South Africa has been slow. Cartoon: Bethuel Mangena/African News Agency (ANA)
CAPE TOWN – SA’s phase 2 of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, began on Monday, for people 60 years and older.
The government has set a target of vaccinating an estimated 5.5 million South Africans over the age of 60.
Vaccinations across South Africa are set to ramp up as phase 2 unfolds.
This phase will add another 16.5 million South Africans to the vaccine roster.
Being one of the worst-hit countries on the continent by the pandemic, the country has so far vaccinated 116 741 since Monday and about 500 000 health-care workers were vaccinated as part of the phase 1 Sisonke implementation study.
The slow vaccination roll-out has been a hallmark in many countries on the continent and according to the WHO in Africa, blockage on supplies and financial challenges have delayed the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa.
WHO, regional director in Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti says they are optimistic that vaccine availability will improve significantly in the second half of the year.
“As people living in richer countries hit the reset button this summer and their lives start to look normal, in Africa our lives will stay on hold.
“This is unjust.
“We are optimistic that we can still catch up and make up for the lost ground, but time is running out,” she said.
As people living in richer countries hit the reset button this summer & their lives start to look normal, in Africa our lives will stay on hold. This is unjust. #VaccinEquity #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/6e9Ucmx73V
— Dr Matshidiso Moeti (@MoetiTshidi) May 20, 2021
Fewer than 25 million vaccines have been administered in Africa with a population of about 1.3 billion people; representing 16% of the world’s population.
So far only three countries on the continent, Morocco, Seychelles and Rwanda are leading the way in protecting the highest proportion of their citizens.
Morocco has vaccinated over 10 million people with the first doses of the vaccines.
While the Seychelles have vaccinated more people per head against Covid-19 than any other country.
More than 60% of the population in the Seychelles has now been fully vaccinated.
Here are the top 10 countries on the continent who have made progress in Covid-19 vaccinations:
MOROCCO
NIGERIA
ETHIOPIA
EGYPT
KENYA
GHANA
ZIMBABWE
ANGOLA
TUNISIA
SENEGAL