COVID-19 Vaccination in the WHO African Region: Progress Made in 2022 and Factors Associated

Abstract

This study summarizes progress made in rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations in the African region in 2022, and analyzes factors associated with vaccination coverage. Data on vaccine uptake reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa by Member States between January 2021 and December 2022, as well as publicly available health and socio-economic data, were used. A negative binomial regression was performed to analyze factors associated with vaccination coverage in 2022. As of the end of 2022, 308.1 million people had completed the primary vaccination series, representing 26.4% of the region's population, compared to 6.3% at the end of 2021. The percentage of health workers with complete primary series was 40.9%. Having carried out at least one high volume mass vaccination campaign in 2022 was associated with high vaccination coverage (β = 0.91, p < 0.0001), while higher WHO funding spent per person vaccinated in 2022 was correlated with lower vaccination coverage (β = -0.26, p < 0.03). All countries should expand efforts to integrate COVID-19 vaccinations into routine immunization and primary health care, and increase investment in vaccine demand generation during the transition period that follows the acute phase of the pandemic.

Keywords: African region; COVID-19 vaccines; coverage.

Figure 1

Percentage of people who had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and people who had completed the primary series by reporting month in the African region.

Figure 2

Proportion of people who had completed the primary COVID-19 vaccination series by country in the African region at the end of December 2021 and 2022.

Figure 3

Percentage of people who had completed the COVID-19 vaccination primary series at the end of December 2021 and 2022 among countries with more than 25% of people who had completed the primary series as of 31 December 2022. Note: The dashed red line highlights the 40% of people having completed the primary series mark, set as a target for the end of 2021 by the WHO.

Figure 4

Percentage of people who had completed the COVID-19 vaccination primary series by the end of December 2021 and 2022, respectively, among countries with fewer than 25% of people having completed the primary series as of 31 December 2022. Note: The dashed red line highlights the 10% of people having completed the primary series mark.

Figure 5

Proportion of people with who had completed the COVID-19 vaccination primary series and received booster doses in 35 countries in the African region.

Figure 6

Percentage of health workers who had completed the primary COVID-19 vaccination series in 24 countries in the African region. Note: The dashed blue lines highlight the 10%, 40% and 70% of people having completed the primary series marks.