蜜芽传媒

The first major football tournament of 2022 kicks off on Sunday, with the Africa Cup of Nations taking centre stage. A host of Premier League and European stars will descend on Cameroon, with the hosts facing Burkina Faso in the opening game. Complex logistics and insecurity aren't the only difficulties in the country. Issues relating to Covid-19 are looming too. One of the top players, the Arsenal striker and Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has tested positive for Covid after landing in Cameroon, and Egypt have delayed their departure after coronavirus cases were reported in their camp.

The authorities will be hoping that the tournament doesn't turn into a super-spreading event in a country where, like much of Africa, vaccination rates are very low. Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses the issue. He says he feels optimistic about Africa reaching its target of 70 percent of the population being vaccinated this year, given the ramping up of initiavies such as those run by Covax and the African Vaccine Aquisition Task Team, and pledges from the US. He goes on to say that levels of vaccine hesitancy have been exaggerated and that 80 percent of people in Africa are ready to be vaccinated. The challenge is to focus on is distribution - and he hopes that the various countries and partnerships can work together to tackle this.

Photo: Arsenal striker and Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has tested positive for Covid at Afcon Credit: EPA