West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | December 2021
IA) Political Developments: Regional Issues Impact of Omicron Covid-19: Discovery of a new and more virulent strain of the SARS-Coronavirus in South Africa and its designation of Variant of Concern by the WHO on November 26 sent a wave of panic throughout the world, including the WANA region. Apart from the renewed threat of infections, it […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | November 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: Even as the global death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic crossed the 5 mn mark by the month-end, there were signs of gradual improvement of the situation in the WANA region. While resurgence the pandemic continues to be a threat, higher vaccination and booster doses, herd immunity […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | October 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: From Pandemic to Endemic? While there was an unmistakable decline in Covid-19 cases and deaths, given previous upturns it was still too early to say if it was the beginning of the end of the pandemic. The 28-day data showed fresh cases and deaths to be down by […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | September 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: Delta Force Rampages WANA The trend reversal that began in July 2021 continued to worsen. Both the confirmed Covid-19 cases and the deaths rose sharply in August 2021. Thus, the growth in confirmed cases in the region during August rose to 15.05% from 11.64%, 6.48%, 9.5% and 44.1% […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | August 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: At Sea with Delta Version There was a significant surge in Covid-19 confirmed cases and fatalities in WANA countries during July 2021 reversing the ongoing trend of decline. The growth in confirmed cases in the region during the month rose to 11.64% from 6.48%, 9.5% and 44.1% […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | July 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: The Pandemic tapers off as vaccinations rise The decline in Covid-19 confirmed cases and the fatalities continued in WANA countries during the month, led by those with high mass vaccination ratios. The growth in confirmed cases declined in the region to 6.48% from 9.5% and 44.1% in […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | June 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: The Pandemic tapers off as vaccinations rise Both incidences of Covid-19 confirmed cases and deaths continued to decline in WANA countries, led particularly by those with high mass vaccination ratios. Thus the growth in confirmed cases declined in the region to 9.5% (from 44.1% in April 2021) and […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | May 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: Covid Comes Back For several reasons, most WANA countries saw a resurgence in covid-19 cases and deaths during April 2021. New and more virulent mutants of the virus gripped the population already fatigued by year-long pandemic vigil. The ignorance of social-distancing norms during Nowruz festivities (straddling March-April), as […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | April 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: Vaccination and Second Surge In March 2021, two distinct and opposite trends were evident about the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the WANA countries. In overall terms, the region saw a doubling of the rate of infections which grew by 20.8% in March 2021 as compared to […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | March 2021
IA) Political Developments: Covid-19 Pandemic Regional Impact of Covid-19: Vaccines Begin Making the Difference In February 2021, there was a perceptible decline in the new Covid-19 cases and deaths in most of the WANA countries over the previous month. Thus the new cases which grew by 16.8% in January fell to 10.3% in February and the corresponding […]