This post has already been read 1220 times!
• Massive new bird flu outbreak could be 2022’s deadly pandemic
• 10 million Nigerians get the first dose as WHO laments missing global 40% vaccination target
• China, Germany impose new lockdowns to curb Omicron
The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called on countries of the world to prepare for the next pandemic as COVID-19 will not be the last.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of investing in systems to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
The first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was held last year, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) working closely with governments to support efforts to build strong emergency and epidemic preparedness systems, as part of an overall approach to advance universal health coverage and strengthen primary healthcare systems.
“It also revealed our failure to learn the lessons of recent health emergencies like SARS, avian influenza, Zika, Ebola and others. And it reminded us that the world remains woefully unprepared to stop localised outbreaks from spilling across borders and spiralling into a global pandemic.
“COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic humanity will face. Infectious diseases remain a clear and present danger to every country.
“It means strengthening primary healthcare at the local level to prevent collapse. It means ensuring equitable access to life-saving interventions like vaccines for all people.
“And it means achieving Universal Health Coverage. Most of all, it means building global solidarity to give every country a fighting chance to stop infectious diseases in their tracks.”
Earlier in the month, the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, welcomed the decision of a special session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the UN agency’s top decision-making body to develop a new global accord on pandemic prevention and response.
ISRAEL’S National Security Council has assumed control of a massive bird flu outbreak in Galilee, which scientists warn could become a “mass disaster” for humans.
The virus can be deadly if it infects people. WHO said more than half of the confirmed 863 human cases it has tracked since 2003 proved fatal. Most strains or variants of avian flu, H5N1, are relatively difficult to transmit to people.
Yossi Leshern, one of Israel’s most renowned ornithologists told newsmen that it is the ability of these viruses to mutate into new strains that pose such a threat as we have seen with the Coronavirus.
So far, at least 5,400 wild cranes have died infected with the new H5N1 avian flu, which Israeli authorities fear could expand into a global emergency.
MEANWHILE, as cases of the new Omicron variant continue to spread like wildfire, 70 per cent of COVID vaccines have been distributed to the world’s 10 largest economies, and the poorest countries have received just 0.8 per cent, according to the UN, calling it “not only unjust but also a threat to the entire planet.”
“An outbreak anywhere is a potential pandemic everywhere”, said the Secretary-General.”
Just about three per cent of the almost eight billion doses given globally have been administered in Africa, and only around eight per cent of Africans are fully vaccinated, compared with more than 60 per cent in many high-income countries.
“As of December 26, 9,765,729 eligible persons targeted received the first dose, while 4,363,620 got the second dose,” he confirmed.
He said vaccines remain the best way to protect people from Coronavirus and save lives, adding that the Federal Government has approved three vaccines and had secured early access for more doses.
More or less than half of WHO’s 194 member countries will not meet the global vaccination goal to vaccinate the greater population of the world.
WHO also noted that less than 10 per cent of the population had not been vaccinated, in about 40 countries.
“Even more countries are at risk of missing the WHO targets of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population of every country by the end of this year, and 70 per cent by the middle of next year.”
The data provided by WHO said that while in Germany, about 171 vaccine doses per 100 inhabitants had been administered, in Madagascar its vaccination intake was under 2.7 per 100. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 0.32 vaccine had been administered to the population so far. In most countries in Africa, vaccination intake remains below the two-digit range.
It noted that pharmaceutical firms have also expressed reluctance to share technical know-how to manufacturers despite the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool and the mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub put in place by the world health body.
Although some progress have been made to transfer technology, especially in South Africa, little or no progress has been made worldwide.
Dozens of countries are dependent on supplies from COVAX, the UN-backed vaccine-sharing programme intended to get shots in the arms of people in lower-income countries. Prosperous countries have been called out for not doing enough to support global vaccine equity through COVAX.
Worldwide, more than 8.6 billion vaccine doses had been administered by Tuesday, but mostly in high-income countries that have the resources to secure their own contracts with vaccine manufacturers.
On the other hand, the pharmaceutical industry is convinced that it is not a lack of doses that is responsible for the imbalance in vaccination intake in the world.
According to estimates by the pharmaceutical association, IFPMA, about 1.4 billion vaccine doses were manufactured in December alone. Rather, it states that vaccination scepticism is high in many countries, and many have a problem with vaccine distribution.
Although, many western countries have collectively pledged more than a billion doses as donations, the WHO laments that deliveries often take a long time to materialise.
Some of the jabs also have only a few weeks left until the expiry date, which makes a distribution to poorer countries, especially complicated.
WHO further warned yesterday that the Omicron coronavirus variant could lead to overwhelmed healthcare systems even though early studies suggest it leads to milder disease, as China and Germany brought back tough restrictions to stamp out new infection surges.
COVID-19 surges have wreaked havoc around the world, with many nations trying to strike a balance between economically punishing restrictions and controlling the spread of the virus.
The United States has halved the isolation period for asymptomatic cases to try and blunt the disruption, while France has ordered firms to have employees work from home at least three days a week.
The surges in many countries have been propelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. WHO warned against complacency even though preliminary findings suggest that Omicron could lead to milder disease.
“A rapid growth of Omicron even if combined with a slightly milder disease, will still result in large numbers of hospitalisations, particularly amongst unvaccinated groups, and cause widespread disruption to health systems and other critical services,” warned WHO Europe’s COVID-19 Incident Manager, Catherine Smallwood.
Beyond social strife, the pandemic has been punishing economically, in particular for sectors like travels.
Some 11,500 flights have been scrapped worldwide since Friday, and tens of thousands more delayed, during one of the year’s busiest travel periods. Multiple airlines have blamed staffing shortages caused by spikes of Omicron cases.
