Africa's vaccinations lag the developed world

Vaccine update:

• More than 1.16 billion doses have been administered across 174 countries at a rate of 21.1 million doses a day.
• The UK has administered a second vaccine to 15.3 million people, more than 25% of the adult population. 
• Almost 35 million people, over 50% of the population, have received a first shot.
• The US and the World Trade Organization will begin talks this week on how to expand access to vaccines. 
• Discussions will focus on how to widely distribute vaccines and get them more widely licensed.
• Saudi Arabia will allow citizens who have been fully vaccinated to travel from 17 May and will also fully open air, land and sea borders.
• Africa aims to vaccinate up to 60% of the population by the end of 2022.
• However, the slow vaccination rollout on the continent is being exacerbated by vaccine hesitancy due to health concerns.
• The UN has indicated that the slow vaccine rollout and a lack of funding to bridge the gap between poor and rich countries could set Africa back two to five years.
• While some countries may have access to funds through the $650bn in special drawing rights, a failure to secure enough money could set the continent back.
• The Africa CDC has reported that more than 15 million vaccine doses have been administered on the continent with a population of about 1.3 billion people.
• In South Africa, 318,670 vaccines have been administered to date.
• The first Pfizer vaccines have arrived in SA; Pfizer will have shipped 4.5 million doses of the vaccine to SA by June.
• The general rollout of the vaccines is expected to commence on 17 May.

 Cases update: global

• Cases have surpassed 153.49 million, while the death toll has surpassed 3.21 million; recoveries are at 130.83 million.
• The US has 33.18 million cases, accounting for 23% of global cases; the US death toll is 591,062. 
• India has 19.25 million cases and 218,959 deaths; Brazil has 14.75 million cases and 407,775 deaths.
• Daily deaths in India hit a record 3,689 yesterday. 
• India’s outbreak has crossed over into Nepal; the pace of new cases is roughly 10 times higher than 2 weeks ago.
• Covid tests in Hong Kong hit a daily record over the weekend as the government made it compulsory for all foreign domestic workers in the city to be tested.

 Cases update: Africa

• Africa’s Covid-19 cases are at 4.61 million; fatalities are at 122,616.
• Morocco has 511,856 reported cases, Nigeria 165,153, Ghana 92,601, Kenya 160,422.

 Cases update: South Africa

• SA currently has the 20th highest caseload, at 1.584 million; 1,222 new cases were reported yesterday.
• Covid-19 deaths rose by 11 yesterday, to 54,417; 1.507 million people (or 95%) have recovered from the virus.
• Provincial caseload: Gauteng 424,326 (accounting for 26.8% of the total); KwaZulu-Natal has 336,732 (21.3% of the total); Western Cape 286,988 (18.1% of the total).
• Provincial deaths: Western Cape 11,626; Gauteng 10,664; KwaZulu-Natal 10,388.
• 10.69 million tests have been conducted since 5 March 2020; 16,194 tests were conducted yesterday.
• 318,670 vaccines have been administered to date.

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