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Rabat – Morocco is currently the African leader with regard to administered COVID-19 vaccines, according to the African Center for Disease (CDC Africa).
As of August 5, African countries have administered more than 70.6 million vaccine doses, out of 103 million acquired in total on the continent, according to the latest figures released by CDC Africa. Morocco’s approximately 25 million doses administered, roughly 30% of its population, represent more than a third of all vaccinations in the African continent.
“We recognize the leading role played by the Kingdom in terms of vaccination in the African continent,” said Director of Africa CDC John Nkengasong in late July, adding that “Morocco has become a model in the field of vaccination.”
Besides Morocco, the continent’s other heavy hitters include South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, and Nigeria.
South Africa’s 7.6 million vaccines administered covers only 0.57% of the country’s population, while Egypt’s 5.6 million vaccinations have reached 1.76% of the country’s population. Nigeria has administered almost 4 million vaccines, covering 0.68% of the country’s population, and Tunisia has administered 2.6 million doses, covering 8.17% of its population.
To date, 1.58% of the African population has been fully vaccinated, an astonishingly low number when compared to the African total for COVID-19 cases, which stands at 6,866,597 cases, with 174,054 deaths and 6,016,902 recoveries.
Africa has a total population of over 1.2 billion people and it is becoming increasingly clear that the western world’s iron grip on the global vaccine supply is causing immeasurable damage to the Global South. Even in the middle of global vaccine shortage, Moderna has reported profits exceeding $4.2 billion in the second quarter of 2021. As many Western countries push for a third booster shot, many countries in the Global South have not even vaccinated their health workers.
“The very low access to vaccines has exposed Africa to a devastating third and fourth waves of COVID-19,” said Benedict Oramah, the President and Chairman of the Board of Afreximbank, adding that “death rates are rising and economies are becoming increasingly vulnerable.”
The good news, however, is that CDC Africa has just announced the rollout of 400 million COVID-19 doses across the African Union and the Caribbean. Africa’s largest vaccine drive is now imminent, enabled by the 400 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines that the African Union has acquired through its African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT). The possibility for an additional order of 180 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has also been discussed.
“This is a proud moment for the continent; the vaccines, partly manufactured in South Africa are a true testament that local production and pooled procurement as envisioned in the African Continental Free Trade Area are key to the attainment of a more sustainable post-Covid economic recovery across the continent,” stressed Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Morocco might be able to help Africa’s vaccination drive, having signed an agreement on July 5 which will allow Morocco to manufacture Chinese-developed vaccines at home. With Morocco bearing the torch as a vaccination leader on a continental scale, depending on the timeframe that it would take to develop its vaccine manufacturing capabilities, Morocco shows great potential in becoming a prominent leader in Africa’s vaccination campaign through its domestic production capabilities of the Chinese developed vaccine.
