Around 62 million doses were administered across the continent in February up from 54 million in January.

Mass vaccination campaigns in 10 priority countries to reach 100 million people by the end of April 2022

Newly reported cases fell by 20% in the week to 16 January, while deaths dropped by 8%.

COVAX is working with governments, manufacturers and partners to ensure that when countries receive vaccines they can get them to people quickly.

So far 30 African countries have detected the Omicron variant.

—Benedict Okey Oramah, President of Afreximbank and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the African Union COVID-19 Response Fund.

—Benedict Okey Oramah, President of Afreximbank and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the African Union COVID-19 Response Fund.

Over 6400 deaths were recorded, a 2% rise compared with the previous week.

The first time Africa has undertaken a continent-wide procurement of this magnitude, the vaccines are sufficient to immunise a third of the African people.

The rise in vaccine shipments comes as Africa sees its second week of falling case numbers after a steep and unbroken eight-week surge.

Ghana was the first country in the world to receive vaccines through COVAX in late February.

Over 1 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses arrived on Saturday from the US.