The World Health Organization expressed concern on Thursday over the "increase" in COVID-19 cases in 15 countries ranging from Morocco to Pakistan, warning that these countries, spread across the Maghreb, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, are facing a "fourth pandemic wave" while vaccination rates remain extremely low.
The organization stated in a statement that the Delta variant, first identified in India, is now widespread in 15 countries in the "Eastern Mediterranean region," which is covered by the organization's regional office. This Eastern Mediterranean region encompasses a vast area stretching from Morocco to Pakistan, passing through Somalia and Saudi Arabia, and includes 21 member countries along with Palestinian territories, with a total population of approximately 680 million people.
The statement added that "the spread of the Delta variant has led to an increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths (caused by the virus) in an increasing number of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region." Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, was quoted as saying, "The majority of new infections and hospitalizations are among unvaccinated individuals. We are witnessing the fourth wave of COVID-19 in this region today."
The organization reported a monthly increase of 55% in COVID-19 cases and a 15% increase in deaths from the virus in the region, with the weekly rate of new infections reaching 310,000 and the weekly death toll at 3,500.
The statement warned that some countries in the region, like Tunisia, which has recorded the highest number of deaths in North Africa, are struggling to cope with the rising number of infections amid shortages of oxygen cylinders and overcrowding in intensive care units.
The organization cautioned that the Delta variant is on track to become the "dominant strain" in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which suffers from extremely low vaccination rates, with "only 5.5% of the region's population fully vaccinated."
According to a recent study published in the "Virological" journal, the viral load (amount of virus in the blood) in initial tests of patients infected with the Delta variant was found to be a thousand times greater than that in patients infected with the original strain of the virus in 2020.
