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Brazzaville, November 26, 2020 – As the race to find a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine looks increasingly promising, a new analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) finds that Africa is far from ready for what will be the continent’s biggest immunization handle.
All 47 countries in the WHO African Region have received the WHO Vaccine Readiness Assessment Tool, which is intended for use by the ministries of health, with the support of WHO and UNICEF. It provides a roadmap for countries to plan the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine and covers 10 key areas: planning and coordination, resources and financing, vaccine regulations, service delivery, training and supervision, monitoring and evaluation, logistics of Vaccines, Vaccine Safety and Surveillance, and Community Participation and Communications.
Forty countries updated the tool and provided data to WHO. An analysis finds that, based on country self-reports, the African region has an average score of 33% readiness for the COVID-19 vaccine deployment, which is well below the desired benchmark of 80%.
“The largest immunization campaign in African history is just around the corner, and African governments must urgently accelerate preparedness. Planning and preparation will make or break this unprecedented effort, and we need active leadership and engagement from the highest levels of government with strong and comprehensive national coordination plans and systems in place, ”said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director. of the WHO for Africa.
WHO, together with Gavi, Vaccine Alliance, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation and other partners are working to ensure equitable access to vaccines in Africa through the COVAX facility, the vaccine pillar of the WHO Access Tool Accelerator. to COVID-19. When vaccines are licensed and approved, COVAX will work to ensure sufficient doses to provide protection to an initial 20% of the African population.
However, WHO’s analysis of country preparedness data finds that only 49% have identified priority populations for vaccination and have plans to reach them, and 44% have coordinating structures. Only 24% have adequate plans for resources and funding, 17% have data collection and tracking tools in place, and only 12% have plans to communicate with communities to build trust and drive demand for immunization.
“Developing a safe and effective vaccine is only the first step to a successful implementation,” said Dr. Moeti. “If the communities are not on board and are not convinced that a vaccine will protect their health, we will make little progress. It is essential that countries reach out to communities, listen to their concerns and give them a voice in the process.
WHO estimates that the cost of implementing a COVID-19 vaccine on the African continent for priority populations will be around US $ 5.7 billion. This does not include an additional 15% to 20% cost for injection materials and vaccine delivery, which require trained health workers, supply chain and logistics, and community mobilization. This cost is based on COVAX facility estimates of the average price of the vaccine at $ 10.55 per dose and that a two-dose regimen will be needed.
WHO and its partners recently published guidance on COVID-19 vaccination planning and deployment for national governments, with the goal of helping them design strategies for the deployment, implementation and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines and better integrate your strategies and financing to drive efficiency.
Dr. Moeti spoke during a virtual press conference today facilitated by APO Group. She was joined by Professor Helen Rees, Executive Director of the Wits Institute for Reproductive Health and HIV at the University of the Witwatersrand, Chair of the Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group for Africa (RITAG), and Chair of the Health Products Regulatory Authority of South Africa. Other speakers were Professor Pontiano Kaleebu, Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and MRC / UVRI and the Uganda Research Unit of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and Professor Fredrick N Were, Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine, University of Nairobi and Chief Research Scientist, Kenya Pediatric Research Consortium.
