Scientists from Northeastern University have found that more than 50% of deaths from COVID-19 could have been prevented by more effective distribution of the virus vaccine. Research published in the journal Nature Communication.
The researchers used a pandemic computational model to estimate how many deaths could be prevented in 20 countries, including Kenya, Afghanistan and Bolivia, if they received the same amount of COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as high-income countries. level.
According to their estimates, more than 50% of the deaths that occurred in the analyzed countries in this situation could have been prevented. At the same time, the death toll in Afghanistan and Uganda would decrease by more than 90%. Overall, 518,000 people could have escaped death.
Also, if the number of vaccines had not changed, a significant proportion of deaths (between 6% and 50%) could have been prevented, but they would have been brought to the countries in question earlier.
According to the authors, international health institutions and funds anticipated the problem and tried to solve it, but failed in time.
The scientists noted several barriers to accelerated vaccine delivery in low- and low-middle-income countries, including a lack of frontline healthcare workers, limited funding and a lack of vaccine delivery infrastructure.
“We need to have both logistics and production capacity next time so that we can really get a different result in these countries,” the scientists said.
Other countries included in the study were Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Zambia, Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Honduras, Philippines and Kyrgyzstan. Delays in the supply of vaccines in these countries have also resulted in schools, restaurants and other businesses being closed longer than in high-income countries, with future economic and social consequences.