The number of unreported COVID cases in Africa is higher than predicted, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday.
WHO’s recent findings noted that the number of unreported instances of COVID-19 infections among Africa’s 1.3 billion population is significantly higher than previously reported.
According to Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, new WHO assessments reveal that after exposure to the COVID-19 virus, almost two-thirds of people on the African continent may have developed a certain level of immunity.
She said the official data just touched the surface of the problem, referring to an unpublished WHO report.
The true number of infected people could be 97 times larger than the number of confirmed cases.
“This compares to the global average, where the true number of infections is about 16 per cent higher than the number of confirmed, reported cases,” Moeti said.
Africa has officially recorded 11.5 million infections, with 250,000 of them resulting in death.
Despite the larger numbers, she claimed there was no need to be concerned, citing Africa’s relatively young population as an example.
However, extensive testing and vaccination remained a top focus. She also emphasized that many African health crises can now be linked back to climatic factors.
According to a new study issued by the World Health Organisation, the continent’s entire health foundation is under threat from increasingly extreme climate events.
As a result of this, African countries’ understanding of climate change has increased.
