TABLE 1.
Details on the COVID-19 pandemic situation and COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda at the time when the survey was conducted and up to May/June 2022. (COVID-19 vaccination in health workers; Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda; 2021).
| Sierra Leone | DRC | Uganda | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population size a | 8.0 million | 89.6 million | 45.7 million |
| First identified COVID-19 case | 31st March 2020 | 10th March 2020 | 22nd March 2020 |
| COVID-19 vaccines available in country | March 2021 | April 2021 g | March 2021 |
| Vaccine acceptability survey conducted | 19 April–24 June 2021 | 23 June-27July 2021 | 7 September–8 October 2021 |
| Covid-19 situation and vaccine roll-out in the country at survey commencement | |||
| Number of infection waves b | 2 | 3 (mid 3rd wave) | 2 |
| Confirmed COVID-19 cases b | |||
| Number of cases | 4,038 | 38,553 | 120,714 |
| Cases per million population | 496 | 417 | 2,562 |
| Confirmed COVID-19 deaths b | |||
| Number of deaths | 79 | 891 | 3,061 |
| Deaths per million population | 10 | 10 | 65 |
| Vaccination progress c | |||
| % of population with ≥1 vaccine dose | 0.52% | 0.08% | 2.19% |
| % of population fully vaccinated f | 0.02% | <0.01% | 0.78% |
| Covid-19 situation and vaccine roll-out in the country up to May/June 2022 | |||
| Number of infection waves d | 4 | 4 h | 3 h |
| Confirmed COVID-19 cases d | |||
| Number of cases | 7,683 | 89,189 | 165,927 |
| Cases per million population | 944 | 965 | 3,521 |
| Confirmed COVID-19 deaths d | |||
| Number of deaths | 125 | 1,338 | 3,602 |
| Deaths per million population | 15 | 14 | 76 |
| Vaccination progress e | |||
| % of population with ≥1 vaccine dose | 27.0% | 2.1% | 33.4% |
| % of population fully vaccinated f | 18.1% | 1.3% | 22.6% |
DRC, democratic Republic of Congo.
Based on 2020 data from the World Bank Group [37].
Based on data from Our World in Data, correct at 19th April 2021 for Sierra Leone, 23rd June 2021 for the DRC and 7th September 2021 for Uganda [38].
Based on data from Our World in Data, correct at 15th April 2021 for Sierra Leone, 20th June 2021 for the DRC, and 5th September 2021 for Uganda [1].
Based on data from Our World in Data, correct at 9th June 2022 for all three countries [38].
Based on data from Our World in Data, correct at 22nd May 2022 for all three countries [1].
Whereby fully vaccinated refers to a complete initial protocol.
The COVID-19 vaccine launch was initially scheduled for 15th March 2021, shortly after a shipment of 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the country. However, the launch was paused for one month in the DRC following the temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine across multiple European countries the same month (from 7th March 2021) [24]. The DRC’s vaccination campaign started in April 2021, with the first phase of vaccinations targeting Kinshasa, North Kivu (where Goma is located), Central Kongo and Haut-Katanga—the provinces most affected by the pandemic.
Case numbers of COVID-19 were starting to increase in the DRC and Uganda at the time of writing, possibly signalling the start of the next infection wave in these countries.