The evolution of the Covid-19 epidemic in Europe worries the WHO
Vaccination in a health center, in Niš, Serbia, on March 3, 2021. The countries mainly located in the east of the European continent are clearly behind the rich countries of Western Europe REUTERS - MARKO DJURICA
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236,000 deaths from the coronavirus in the next three months in Europe, these are the projections of the European division of the World Health Organization, WHO.
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Europe has already paid a heavy price for the Covid-19 epidemic, with 1.3 million deaths.
And contaminations are starting again: the number of new cases has increased by more than 10% in the last 14 days in the majority of countries, according to the division of the World Health Organization in charge of the Europe region and which includes Central Asia.
Last week, the number of deaths from the coronavirus increased by 11%.
Of the region's 53 member states, 33 reported a more than 10% increase in the incidence of cases over two weeks, the WHO said.
The Balkans, the Central Asian and Caucasian Republics are particularly affected.
The organization invokes several causes for this development: the Delta variant, more contagious, which is essential, but also a relaxation considered "
exaggerated
" of health measures in many places and an increase in travel this summer.
Vaccination at several speeds
Another source of concern: vaccination.
Admittedly, nearly half of the population of the Europe zone is vaccinated, which makes it the second most vaccinated region in the world behind the United States / Canada, but this global figure hides strong disparities.
The WHO European director points to a lack of access to vaccines in some countries and a lack of acceptance in others.
Outside the EU, in the least vaccinated European countries, these two gaps are cumulative.
The four least vaccinated countries in Europe - Armenia (3%), Ukraine (9%), Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (11% each) - were among the last on the continent to launch their campaign, in February and March.
And these are light years away from those of Western European countries.
Their campaigns are light years away from those of countries like Portugal (73% fully vaccinated), Denmark (71%), Spain (69%), France (65%) or the United Kingdom (63 %), which rank among the most vaccinated in Europe and the world.
► To read also: Vaccination is going well everywhere in Spain
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