COVID‐19: A perspective on Africa's capacity and response

Abstract

Global powerhouses with tried and tested health systems have struggled to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. One is left to wonder what will be left of Africa, the second most populous continent after Asia, which is torn by civil wars, hunger, and diseases like AIDS and TB and, in recent years, the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The majority of countries' health systems, already dependent on donor aid, are ill-equipped and under-resourced to deal with the raging pandemic. There is a lack of isolation and intensive care infrastructure, ventilators, and financial resources to bankroll the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is some cause for optimism, for example, in West Africa where infrastructure like diagnostic testing facilities, intensive care units, surveillance, and systems for reporting emergencies used during the EVD outbreak of 2013-2016 can be leveraged to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, a number of African countries have responded swiftly by activating the necessary political and financial tools to combat the pandemic. Technical support from continental bodies like the Africa Centers for Disease Control and global development partners has improved the capacity of the continent to handle the pandemic. In this article, the authors unpack, review, and share a perspective on Africa's capacity to contain and control the COVID-19 pandemic and review the current response.

SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in people living withHIV: a systematic review

“…However, several other reasons may also explain the current lack of studies from Africa. First, the real number of African patients with Covid‐19, including HIV co‐infected cases, may be underestimated, considering that African healthcare systems are often weak and inadequately economically supported, leading to a reduced laboratory capacity of diagnosing SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and to the presence of weak surveillance systems, affecting the quality of data collection and report 35 . In addition, a reduction in seeking care may be observed for African PLWHA, due to several reasons, including poverty, long distance to reach healthcare facilities and stigma related to both HIV and Covid‐19.…”

<p>Predictors of Non-Adherence to Public Health Instructions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</p>

“…5 The first case of COVID-19 in Africa was confirmed in Egypt on February 14, 2020, and Nigeria reported the first confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa, in an Italian patient who flew to Nigeria from Italy on February 25, 2020. 6 The government response to the pandemic on the continent has not been without challenges. Airport screening has been implemented and mitigation efforts such as hand washing, social distancing, and stay-at-home lockdown measures have also been adopted.…”

Prevention and control of COVID-19 in pastoral community through One Health Approach

“…Such public health threats could exacerbate the health conditions of these population particularly in a time of drought when these communities relocate to semi-urban areas and villages in search for better life. A large pastoral community that lives in Sub-Saharan Africa, is more likely to spread the infection to the agrarian population or city dwellers due to high crowdedness in urban areas [ 5 ].…”

“…Apart from these challenges, the operating health facilities that exist in small numbers are already overcrowded by patients with pneumonia, malaria, Tuberculosis, acute diarrhea and malnutrition. There would be insufficient capacity to accommodate such an epidemic as COVID-19 [ 5 ]. Moreover, citizens of these countries who are mostly uneducated are less likely to follow the public health advice on prevention and control of the infection.…”