World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said Coronavirus variants are currently proving to be winning against vaccines produced so far.
He speaks as much of the world is experiencing a coronavirus resurgence driven by new variants, Delta, Alpha, Gamma and Beta, strains of the coronavirus first identified in India, the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa.
Addressing journalists at a recent media briefing, the WHO boss said:
_The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic. We have just passed the tragic milestone of four million recorded COVID-19 deaths, which likely underestimates the overall toll._
_Compounded by fast-moving variants and shocking inequity in vaccination, far too many countries in every region of the world are seeing sharp spikes in cases and hospitalisation. Variants are currently winning the race against vaccines because of inequitable vaccine production and distribution, which also threatens the global economic recovery._
A weekly report by the United Nations’ organ for up to July 4 showed a 23% spike in new deaths in Africa, the highest in the world compared to a 7% increase in the Western Pacific and 6% in Europe.
Overall, global deaths fell by 7%, indicating that Africa was facing the biggest threat from the new infections.
Its data also showed that the Delta variant was in 96 countries, and Alpha in 172 while Beta and Gamma have been confirmed in 120 and 72 countries, respectively.
The outbreak of the third wave has resulted in increased calls for strict measures to deal with the pandemic while some leaders are accusing economically advanced states of hoarding the vaccines at the expense of developing states.
In Zimbabwe, health experts are calling upon the nation to be vaccinated and are also urging authorities to impose total lockdowns since “figures are likely to get higher.”
More: Pindula News; NewsDay