The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that Africa is in the line up to receive at least 220 million initial doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, once it is found.
WHO Africa Program Area Manager Richard Mihigo said that priority will be given to front-line workers in the continent who will receive the first batch.
Africa has a collective population of about 1.3 billion and distribution to countries will be according to the population and the intensity of the pandemic.
Dubbed COVAX, the global Covid-19 vaccine initiative intends to assist countries in the purchase and fair distribution of 2 billion of the vaccine that will be approved by December 2021.
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The initiative has already started testing nine potential vaccines globally.
According to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) boss, Richard Hatchett, two of the nine vaccines are being tested in Africa.
Analysts had initially predicted that Africa would be hit hard by the pandemic.
However, data from many countries in the continent have proven otherwise. In Kenya, this past month has seen the infection rate dwindle to 200 and below on a daily basis compared to the period between March and July.
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Deaths have also reduced leading to a general perception that the curve is being flattened.
The decline in numbers has prompted many citizens to resume to their places of work and reopen business. Local and international travel restrictions were lifted last month with most airlines having resumed operations.
This means that gradually the economy is also picking up with a hope that things will be back to normal soon.
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