Sir, – Sally Hayden is correct: many African countries have been left "relatively unscathed" by the spread of Covid-19 and "other diseases continue to kill in greater numbers, but don't generate the same headlines" ("We need a less West-centric view of the pandemic", Opinion & Analysis, May 22nd).
This, however, should not lead to any sense of complacency.
At a recent emergency virtual meeting of African health ministers, World Health Organisation (WHO) director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that what is happening in many other parts of the world could yet happen on the African continent.
We have seen the epicentre of this pandemic move on many occasions in its short lifetime – and also the emergence of variants of concern with increased transmission and infectious potentials. No one is safe anywhere until everyone is safe everywhere. A little more than 1 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa has been vaccinated.
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As recent as April 16th, the Covid-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for WHO Africa Region stated that “the risk associated with further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in the African region is currently assessed as high to very high for the overall population and very high for vulnerable individuals”.
The WHO-backed equitable vaccine-sharing programme Covax aims to vaccinate 20 per cent of the highest-risk cohorts by providing up to 600 million doses to Africa by the end of 2021. On May 21st at the G20 global summit in Rome, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen launched a €1 billion EU-led initiative to support vaccines manufacturing in Africa.
Although this is welcome, it is not enough.
In advance of its June meeting, former UK prime minister Gordon Brown has called on the G7 to bankroll an accelerated equitable global vaccination programme.
As trade resumes among Covid-free countries, Africa and the poorest countries of the world cannot be left behind. – Yours, etc,
CHRIS FITZPATRICK,
Dublin 6.