Egypt - the Arab world's most populous nation - has begun the process of vaccinating its more than 100 million citizens against the coronavirus. The country has recorded nearly 9,000 deaths from the disease.

The first recipients of a vaccine were a doctor and a nurse. They were given a Chinese-made injection.

Vaccines from Britain and Russia will be included in the inoculation programme as it unfolds.

Egypt’s health minister said the country was aiming to produce an injection locally, with a view to distributing it to the rest of Africa.

There have been warnings that the continent is in danger of being left behind, as richer parts of the world strike vaccine-supply deals and drive up prices.