At least 46 percent of the world population has received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine with 6.36 billion doses having been administered globally, the latest information shows.
Data from Our World in Data shows that that about 22.93 million vaccines are now administered each day while only 2.3% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
In Zimbabwe as of October 4, a total of 3 117 895 people have received their first dose while 2 322 862 are already fully vaccinated.
Addressing the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunisation meeting, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said there were improvements on the Covid-19 inoculation.
“The Covid-19 vaccination situation is improving slowly, with significant vaccine supplies expected for the last quarter of the year for middle- and low-income countries,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.
“But the scale of what is needed is huge, in terms of numbers of vaccinators, engagement with communities, and ongoing monitoring and health systems strengthening. And of course, Covid-19 is not the only health challenge we face.”
He said Malaria continues to be a major public health problem, particularly in Africa, where it remains a primary cause of childhood mortality with more than 260 000 children dying from the disease every year.
“2020 data show concerning trends in progress on vaccine coverage in most countries, largely due to Covid-19,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.
“The Immunisation Agenda 2030 provides a framework for countries to strengthen their immunization systems, improve resilience, and recover more swiftly from the pandemic.
