The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday warned eight African countries have witnessed a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases, reported Eyewitness News.
More than 74,000 COVID-19 cases were reported on the African continent over the last week and 131,000 people died from the deadly virus.
“We’re seeing rising cases in South Africa and in countries like Uganda and Namibia. Cases have increased abruptly in eight countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, and Nigeria in the past seven days,” said WHO regional director, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.
South Africa, which is the worst COVID-19 affected country on the continent, has announced strict restrictions and now has more than 1.6 million cases and 56,439 deaths. In Uganda, the number of cases increased 131 percent in one week with outbreaks in schools and an increase in cases among health workers.
The WHO official warned that Africa is poorly prepared for the third wave of the pandemic with vaccine deliveries at a near-standstill and lacking key resources in frontline care.
Moeti said that there is a severe shortage of critical and ICU care capacity in almost all African nations. She said many hospitals and clinics are not ready to cope with a huge rise in critically ill patients.
She added that, according to a WHO survey, only five out of 23 African countries have more than five ICU beds per 100,000 people, while most countries have less than one ICU bed per 100,000.
“The threat of a third wave in Africa is real and rising,” Moeti said.
The WHO official stressed for better equipment for hospitals and medical staff.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, John Nkengasong, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), slammed rich nations for failing to step up their effort in guaranteeing more equitable access to coronavirus vaccines.
