Africa

The outbreak was contained using Merck's Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients' contacts and contacts of contacts, the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said.

South Africa has secured 30 million doses of Pfizer's two-shot vaccine.

Unable to fly out under lockdown, Zimbabwe’s wealthy must now take their chances in local hospitals alongside everyone else.

Africa’s most industrialised economy had to navigate “difficult and sometimes unreasonable” demands from vaccine manufacturers during negotiations.

South Africa’s health regulator approved J&J’s one-shot vaccine two weeks ago, but it has only been given to health workers in a research study so far.

Congo’s response to the epidemic has been hobbled by a health service suffering from decades of underfunding, mismanagement and war, as well as an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country.

India decided to delay big exports of the shots made in its territory by the Serum Institute of India (SII) to make sure it could meet local demand.

Nigeria, which has recorded 2,049 deaths from COVID-19 and began vaccinations this month, plans to inoculate 40% of its people this year and another 30% in 2022.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has actively promoted the vaccine abroad, said the shot had so far been approved for use in 58 countries.

South Africa and India, which both manufacture drugs and vaccines, made the proposal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) last year.

Medical schemes, funds that pool member contributions to cover healthcare costs, have been in talks with the government over funding vaccines for those without access to private health cover as well as their own members.

The delivery comes eight months after the launch of the COVAX initiative, aimed at pooling funds from wealthier countries and non-profits to distribute vaccines equitably around the world.

A new systematic review analyzing drug pricing policies in sub-Saharan Africa.

The European Union has contributed an additional 500 million euros ($606 million) to the WHO-backed COVAX programme to supply COVID-19 shots to emerging economies, doubling the bloc’s initial contribution.

India, the world’s biggest maker of vaccines, has shipped over 17 million vaccine doses to more than two dozen countries - including around 6 million as gifts to partners such as Bangladesh and Nepal.