The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that after a six-week surge, Africa’s Covid-19 fourth wave, driven primarily by the Omicron variant, is flattening.

This, it said, marks the shortest-lived surge to date on the continent, where cumulative cases have now exceeded 10-million.

So far, 30 African countries — and at least 142 globally — have detected the Omicron variant, while the Delta variant has been reported in 42 countries on the continent.

WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said in West Africa, where Covid-19 cases are on the rise, the number of Omicron sequences undertaken by countries including Cabo Verde, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal is growing.

In Cabo Verde and Nigeria, Omicron is currently the dominant variant.

As of  January 11, there have been 10.2-million Covid-19 cases in Africa. Weekly cases plateaued in the seven days to 9 January from the week before. Southern Africa, which saw a huge increase in infections during the pandemic wave, recorded a 14% decline in infections over the past week.

South Africa, where Omicron was first reported, saw a 9% fall in weekly infections. East and Central Africa regions also experienced a drop. However, North and West Africa are witnessing a rise in cases, with North Africa reporting a 121% increase this past week compared with the previous one, the WHO stated.

Moeti said in countries experiencing a surge in cases, the fast-spreading Omicron variant has become the dominant type.

“While it took around four weeks for the Delta variant to surpass the previously dominant Beta, Omicron outpaced Delta within two weeks in the worst-hit African countries,” she said.

Across the continent, deaths rose by 64% in the seven days ending on January 9, compared with the week before, mainly owing to infections among people at high risk.

However, Moeti noted that deaths in the fourth wave were lower than in the previous waves. Hospitalizations have also remained low.

In South Africa, for instance, around 9% of its over 5 600 intensive care unit beds are currently occupied by Covid-19 patients, Moeti noted.

Meanwhile, she stated that while the continent appears to be weathering the latest Covid-19 pandemic wave, vaccinations remain low.

Just around 10% of Africa’s population has been fully vaccinated.

Moeti explained that vaccine supplies to the continent have improved recently and the WHO is stepping up its support to countries to effectively deliver the doses to the wider population.

“This year should mark a turning point in Africa’s Covid-19 vaccination drive. With vast swaths of the population still unvaccinated, our chances of limiting the emergence and impact of deadly variants are frighteningly slim,” she said.