The World Health Organisation’s Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus anticipates that the intense phase of the Covid-19 pandemic will end this year.

He says that the world will only be able to reach that stage if at least 70% of the global population has been vaccinated by June.

Ghebreyesus was speaking while visiting Covid-19 vaccine production sites in Cape Town.

He says that there is an urgent need for the local production of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been spearheading initiatives to capacitate the continent to reach that goal.

Ghebreyesus has stressed the importance of the research into coronaviruses, HIV, and Tuberculosis.