The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or Covid-19, has hit the world extremely hard. With numbers rising rapidly, we’re sitting at over 1,200,000 cases at the time of writing. The virus was slow to hit Africa, and the continent has only just begun to feel the effects of the outbreak. We’ll be taking a look at the Coronavirus pandemic and Africa, and the stats you need to know.
Covid-19 Cases Reported In Africa So Far
On 6 April, the cases in Africa stood as follows:
- Confirmed cases: 9393
- Number of deaths: 444
- Infected countries: 51
South Africa has been hit the hardest, with around 1,600 cases at the time of writing, and 3 deaths. Here is a breakdown of the rest of the cases in Africa:
While there are still comparably few cases in Africa compared to the rest of the world, the region generally lacks the resources to cope with a public health crisis of this magnitude. This is particularly concerning for a continent rife with malnutrition.
Coronavirus Hitting Townships Is A Grave Concern
South Africa, which is one of the more developed African countries with the second highest GDP, has so far seen the brunt of the Covid-19 outbreak. SA has an enormous disparity between the rich and the poor – it sees both multi-billionaires, and the poorest of the poor all in the same place. SA is home to “townships” which are sprawling locations, with largely informal housing like shacks. Some families may have up to 10 people in a one-bedroom shack, with no access to proper sanitation. This is a failing on the behalf of the government, who ultimately have the resources to provide proper housing to its people.
Now, Covid-19 has hit Khayelitsha, a massive township on the border of Cape Town, an affluent city and tourist hub, and Alexandra, a township bordering the business centre of Johannesburg. This is hugely concerning, as many people live in confined spaces without proper access to running water.
When it comes to the Coronavirus pandemic and Africa, the reality is that this could be disastrous for the continent. With poverty and malnutrition rife, under-resourced governments may struggle to keep the outbreak under control.
Africa, Your Time Against Covid-19 Is Now
With more than 9,000 cases in Africa and climbing, Covid-19 poses a serious threat to the continent. When it comes to the Coronavirus pandemic and Africa, things had a slow start – but they’re ramping up. In a region that’s generally under-resourced, how will governments and healthcare systems cope with the strain of the pandemic? They have to act quickly to prevent a real public health care disaster.
