Publications

The COVID-19 crisis has permanently altered the global health landscape, even as African countries continue to battle multiple, complex humanitarian crises, shutdowns of health programmes and clinical services, pandemic fatigue, an exhausted workforce, and the economic fallout. By the end of July 2021, the WHO African Region was in the throes of the third wave of the virus, with reported cases surpassing the six million mark. It was the shortest period of resur- gence since the pandemic began.

This report shines a spotlight on the efforts under- taken by WHO in the African Region (WHO-AFR) in collaboration with its partners, between February and July 2021, to support Member States to prevent, respond to, and mitigate the spread of the corona- virus (SARS-CoV-2). It lays considerable emphasis on preparations for mass vaccination rollouts, as new variants of the virus expanded. The latest virus resur- gence – the third wave – followed a period of calm, which had enabled WHO-AFR and its partners to engage in several important prevention, mitiga- tion and adaptation measures. Organized in a coor- dination structure, with 11 technical pillars, an infor- mation network attached to its global presence, 47 country offices in Africa, and strong partnerships, the COVID-19 response under the COVID-19 SPRP 2021 builds upon the experience of the first year of the global pandemic response, and previous epidemics or pandemics.