Welcome Remarks
- Good morning from the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, and thank you to members of the press for joining today’s briefing.
- At this time, I will share updates on the COVID-19 situation on the continent, including our response efforts and updates on the vaccine situation.
COVID-19 Epidemiology Update | OVERVIEW
- As of today, March 10th, African Union Member States are reporting the following:
- Total cases: Over 11.2 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in Africa, (11,257,474). This accounts for 3% of total cases reported globally.
- Total recoveries: Over 10.5 million people have recovered (10,529,106). This accounts for 94% of the total cases reported in Africa.
- Total deaths: Over 249,000 deaths have been reported (249,893). This results ina cumulative case fatality rate (CFR) of 2.2%,and accounts for 4.2% of deaths reported globally.
- The following five countries account for 60% of all cases reported in Africa.
- South Africa: 33% of total cases (3,686,556)
- Morocco: 10% of total cases (1,161,776)
- Tunisia: 9% of total cases (1,017,907)
- Libya: 4% of total cases (499,132)
- Egypt: 4% of total cases (492,774)
- Case Fatality Rate (CFR): this week, 33 countries (60% of Member States), are reporting a CFR higher than the global average of 1.4%.
- 2 countries (Somalia and Sudan) are reporting a CFR higher than 5%.
- 96% of Member States(53 countries) experienced the 3rd COVID-19 wave. 37 (70%) MS experienced a more severe 3rd wave.
- Since the last briefing, NO additional Member State is experiencing a 3rd wave.
- 86% of Member States (47 countries) experienced a 4th COVID-19 wave. 31 (66%) MS experienced a more severe 4th wave.
- Since the last briefing, NO additional Member State is experiencing a 4th wave.
- Nine countries (Algeria, Benin, Congo Republic, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritius, Somalia and Tunisia) experienced a 5th COVID-19 wave. 6 (67%) MS experienced a more severe 5th wave.
- Since the last briefing, NO additional Member State is experiencing a 5th wave.
- One Member State (Mauritius) is experiencing a 6th COVID-19 wave.
COVID-19 Epidemiology Update | VARIANTS OF CONCERN (VOC)
- 48 countries are now reporting the Alpha (B.1.1.7) VOC.
Since the last briefing, NO additional Member State is reporting this variant.
- 44 countries are now reporting the Beta (B.1.351) VOC.
Since the last briefing, NO additional Member State is reporting this variant.
- 50 countries are now reporting the Delta (B.1.617.2) VOC.
Since the last briefing, ONE additional Member State (Sao Tome and Principe) is reporting this variant.
- 6 Member States are reporting the Gamma (GR/501Y.V3/P.1+P.1.1+P.1.2) VOC.
Since the last briefing, NO additional Member State is reporting this variant.
- 44 Member States are now reporting the Omicron GR/484A (B.1.1.529)
Since the last briefing, ONE additional Member State (Chad) is reporting this variant.
- Since November 2021, 9 Member States have reported the Omicron BA.2 sub-lineage: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia.
More details are provided in our dashboard:
COVID-19 Epidemiology Update | ONE-WEEK TREND ANALYSIS
- The following are trends for epidemiological week 9 (28 February – 6 March 2022), compared to the previous epidemiological week 8 (21 – 27 February 2022):
- New cases: A total of 44,838 new cases were reported in Africa. This is a 24% decrease from the previous week.
- The highest proportion of new cases is from the Northern region (49%). The other regions are as follows:
- Southern region (38%)
- Eastern region (8%)
- Western region (4%)
- Central region (1%)
- The following 5 countries are reporting the highest number of new cases:
- South Africa (12,328)
- Egypt (8,721)
- Tunisia (8,050)
- Libya (4,007)
- Zimbabwe (3,234)
- The following 5 countries are reporting the highest daily incidence per million population, (average number of new cases per million population per day):
- Seychelles (317)
- Mauritius (240)
- Tunisia (97)
- Libya (83)
- Zimbabwe (31)
- New deaths: A total of 641 new deaths were reported in Africa compared to 1,695 from the previous week. This represents a 62% decrease in new deaths from the previous week.
COVID-19 Epidemiology Update | FOUR-WEEK TREND ANALYSIS
- The following are trends over the past 4 epidemiological weeks, (7 February – 6 March 2022):
- New cases: There has been an overall 25% average decrease in new cases reported in Africa over the last 4 weeks.
- The following is a regional breakdown:
- 31%decreasein the Northern region
- 27% decrease in the Central region
- 25%decreasein the Eastern region
- 13%decrease in the Southern region
- 7%decrease in the Western region
- The following is a breakdown by the most populous countries in Africa:
- DR Congo: 6% average increase
- Ethiopia: 31% average decrease
- Nigeria: 31% average decrease
- Kenya: 29% average decrease
- Egypt: 13% average decrease
- South Africa: 11% average decrease
- New deaths: There has been an overall 22% average decrease in new deaths reported in Africa each week.
- The following is a breakdown by the most populous countries in Africa:
- Ethiopia: 11% average increase
- Nigeria: 92% average decrease
- Kenya: 22% average decrease
- Egypt: 13% average decrease
- South Africa: 13% average decrease
COVID-19 TESTING & MEDICAL SUPPLIES
- To date, over 100.5 million COVID-19 tests (100,554,471) have been conducted in African Union Member States since the pandemic started.
- Over 1 million new tests (1,068,624) were reported for epidemiological week 9 (28 February – 6 March 2022). This is an 18% increase from the previous week when 902,042 tests were reported.
- The cumulative positivity rate is 11.2% and the test-per-case ratio is 8.9.
- For epidemiological week 9 (28 February – 6 March 2022), the positivity rate is 4% and the test-per-case ratio is 18.2, which is a decrease (36%) in the positivity rate and an increase (18%) in the test-per-case ratio compared to the previous week, respectively.
- 7% of Member States (4 countries) are reporting a test positivity rate higher than 12% this week.
ANNOUNCEMENT
- The African Union, Africa CDC & WHO AFRO Co-Convene High-Level Ministerial Meeting this afternoon (10 March 2022) to discuss Partnerships to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccination in Africa.
On 20 December 2021, AU, Africa CDC and WHO AFRO co-convened a meeting to discuss strategies to accelerate uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Subsequently, during the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government (HoSG) Summit, February 2022, the AU COVID-19 Champion, President Ramaphosa, presented a comprehensive report, which was endorsed, on the pandemic situation in Africa and made key recommendations which were endorsed by the HoSG. The HoSG committed to exercise leadership to advance the vaccination agenda and urge the AU/Africa CDC to ensure greater coordination and partnerships to support MS to achieve the goal of vaccinating at least 70% of the continent’s population by end of June 2022.
The AU and Africa CDC will in partnership with WHO AFRO hold quarterly meetings to discuss Partnerships to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccination in Africa. The first meeting will focus on strategies of implementing the Call to Action issued by the HoSG at the Summit to ensure efficient and effective coordination that is critical to assist Member States to achieve the 70% vaccination target.
- Last Monday (07 March) President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya led the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kenya and Moderna to establish the first mRNA manufacturing facility in Africa. The state-of-the-art mRNA facility in Africa is expected to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccines each year. Africa CDC was honored to witness the signing ceremony of this historic event at the State House in Nairobi.
- Reminder: Africa CDC is launching the African Union Youth for COVID-19 Vaccination Initiative (AU Vaccination Bingwa Initiative) as part of its wide Programme of Saving Lives and Livelihoods.
- The Africa CDC has engaged with the AUC Youth Division and the AU Youth Envoy on this initiative.
- The campaign will be framed around the Saving lives, saving livelihoods and H.E Chairperson’s 1 Million Next Level Initiative.
- The epicenter of the campaign will be youth leadership.
- The campaign will be launched at the highest level with representation from AU political leadership, partners and young people.
- Africa CDC has published its Guidance on Administration of COVID-19 vaccine boosters:
- In line with previous Africa CDC guidance, Member States should consider extending vaccination to younger age groups to attain global targets.
- Where supplies allow, AU Member States should administer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to address waning of immunity, especially in the dawn of immune escape from VoC, such as Omicron.
Read out: https://africacdc.org/download/guidance-on-administration-of-covid-19-vaccine-boosters-in-africa/
COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE
- With regards to the current progress of vaccinations across the continent – as of 9th March, African Union Member States are reporting the following:
- Total vaccine doses supplied: 693 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been procured by 54 Member States.
- Total vaccine doses administered: 431 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, which corresponds to 62% of the total supply available in Africa.
- Coverage: 12.9% of the population has been fully vaccinated on the continent.
- The following 10 AU member States have vaccinated more than 35% of their eligible population:
| Countries | % Fully Vaxxed eligible pop |
| Seychelles | 81.00% |
| Mauritius | 75.80% |
| Morocco | 62.90% |
| Rwanda | 60.90% |
| Cape Verde | 53.00% |
| Botswana | 49.20% |
| Tunisia | 39.50% |
| Mozambique | 37.70% |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 37.40% |
| Lesotho | 36.70% |
More details are provided on our dashboard (https://africacdc.org/covid-19-vaccination/)
- Eritrea is the remaining AU Member States yet to start COVID-19 vaccine roll out.
- AVAT DELIVERIES
To date 43.6 Million J & J doses have been delivered to 35 African Union Member States including the African Union Commission : Lesotho, Togo, Mauritius, Angola, Ghana, Tunisia, Cameroon, Egypt, Botswana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Conakry (GN), Liberia, Congo Brazzaville (CG),Sudan, Zambia, Senegal, Gambia, Mozambique, Benin, Namibia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Burundi, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau
- Countries Offering Booster Doses
Twenty-six (26) Africa Union Member States are offering booster shots (Pfizer BioNtech, J&J) following “full” vaccination with one or two dose regime. They are Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Rwanda(>50), Angola, Algeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Libya, Zambia, Botswana, Mauritania, Mauritius (18-59), Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe, Nigeria (18+), Mozambique, Guinea, Cabo Verde, Eswatini,, Equatorial Guinea (60+), Gabon (60+), Cameroon. Only 18 of these are reporting the data
