The Covid-19 epidemic is still ongoing in Madagascar. Despite the authorities’ assurance of measures taken to limit its spread and the progress in the vaccination campaign, the number of patients in hospitals is still in the tens or even more.
The Ministry of Health has not published any information on the evolution of the epidemic in the country for several weeks. This is understandable given the authorities’ objective of reopening the borders in order to boost tourism. But it is not without risk since some health security measures are no longer respected in the country for a while. The reopening of the air borders since last weekend also worries a section of the population because it exposes the country to the risk of a new epidemic wave. Especially since in some countries of the Indian Ocean and Europe to which Madagascar grants the opening of flights, the epidemic of Covid-19 with the most worrying variants of the disease persists. Caution is therefore required.
300 000 doses! These are the only figures concerning the vaccination program in Madagascar for the moment. The country is facing the reluctance of the vast majority of its 24 million inhabitants to be vaccinated. Authorities are confident, however, that at least one million doses will be administered by the end of the year and that at least 50 percent of the population will be vaccinated by 2023.
Observers fear that with the opening of borders, Madagascar is at risk of having the Delta variant in its territory.
