Africa Faces Devastating New COVID Wave

A deadly surge in COVID-19 cases has placed an enormous strain on health facilities in Africa, putting millions of vulnerable families and their children at risk.

This is the worst wave of COVID-19 the continent has faced since the pandemic started. The contagious delta variant, which was first found in India, is largely to blame for the rampant spread of COVID-19 in Africa. The variant-driven outbreak has also contributed to a sharp spike in deaths across the continent.

To make matters worse, Africa currently has the lowest vaccination rate globally, with less than 2% of their 1.2 billion population fully vaccinated. Although there has been a recent rush to ship vaccines to the continent, officials warn it may be too late.

Cases are particularly on the rise in the southern and eastern regions of the continent, with Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) among the worst affected countries.

The pandemic is also pushing weak health systems in Africa to their limits.  For example, Namibia, which has one of the highest rates of infection in the world, only has roughly 320 ventilators and has administered a mere 150,000 vaccines for a population of nearly 2.5 million people.

While Canada and other western countries are steadily distributing vaccines, this latest surge in Africa is a reminder that COVID-19 will continue to pose a threat without a global response and vaccine equity.  

HOW SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IS RESPONDING TO COVID IN AFRICA:

Across Africa, we’re working with communities and families directly affected by COVID-19. Our teams are continuing to support children and their families through:

• Child-friendly COVID-19 prevention messaging to help migrate the spread of the virus.
• Temporary care for children who have lost parental care because of COVID-19.
• Increased access to accurate screening and testing, isolation centres for suspected and positive cases, and the distribution of thermometers, personal protective equipment (PPE), medicine and sanitary products.
• Training staff and essential works in first aid to respond to medical emergencies.
• Providing mental health and psychosocial support to children and young people and ensuring they have access to online learning while schools are closed.  

To learn more about our global COVID-19 response, click here.