COVID-19 is more likely to thrive and mutate in places with high transmission and where access to vaccines is low. The new Omicron variant appeared in just such circumstances.
Every day, all over the world, contributions to WHO are providing vaccines and other tools to slow down transmission of the virus and head off new variants.
For example, Ethiopia has just embarked on a major vaccination campaign, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has welcomed a large vaccine shipment earmarked for Afghan refugees.
Cabo Verde, meanwhile, has attained the global vaccination target for 2021, joining several other African countries in reaching WHO’s end-of-year target by vaccinating 40 percent of their populations.