COVID-19 in Africa: half a year later

COVID-19 in Africa: half a year later

"With the number of COVID-19 cases decreasing across the continent, it is time to reflect on the first months of the pandemic in Africa. Munyaradzi Makoni reports. In February 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Africa. Borders were closed, confirmed cases quarantined, and curfews imposed early, which helped countries to slow down the spread of the virus. A slow rise in cases compared with other parts of the world resulted, highlighting Africa's weak health systems, fragile infrastructure, inadequate availability of trained personnel, and poor access to medical supplies and equipment." (Photo by 2Photo Pots on Unsplash)

Crafting a framework for Africa's COVID-19 vaccine access

Crafting a framework for Africa's COVID-19 vaccine access

"Drastic measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, such as strict lockdowns, are not sustainable on many parts of the African continent because of crowded living conditions and the need to keep economies afloat. That’s why an effective vaccine is one of the best chances African countries have to return to normalcy, experts said this week. “A COVID vaccine would allow member states to return to a fully functional economy and society,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, during a virtual two-day conference focused on the role the continent hopes to play in the development, production, and distribution of future coronavirus vaccines." (Photo: KB Mpofu / International Labour Organization ILO/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

COVID-19 in Africa: the spread and response

COVID-19 in Africa: the spread and response

"Given the current trends in incidence and underlying healthcare systems vulnerabilities, Africa could become the next epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic transitions to more widespread community transmission, how can the lessons learned thus far be consolidated to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 while minimizing social disruption and negative humanitarian and economic consequences?" (Photo: USAFRICOM/flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Lifting Lockdowns During Pandemic In Africa May Prevent Deaths From Other Causes

Lifting Lockdowns During Pandemic In Africa May Prevent Deaths From Other Causes

"African countries are lifting lockdowns even as COVID-19 cases across the continent reached a grim new milestone, topping 200,000 cases. The pandemic took only 19 days to reach 200,000 cases in Africa, while it took 98 days to reach the first 100,000 cases. Yet carefully easing lockdown orders in Africa may be the right move according to former United States CDC director Tom Frieden, who is currently president and chief executive officer of Resolve to Save Lives, an Vital Strategies initiative." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Six ways COVID-19 is changing South Africa

Six ways COVID-19 is changing South Africa

"No country escapes coronavirus unscathed, but South Africa seems to have done better than most – despite dire predictions that African countries are a “ticking time bomb” of COVID-19 devastation. President Cyril Ramaphosa has won international praise for a generally sure-footed response, and, after years of bad news, the country is experiencing a tentative feel-good bloom over its ability to pull together." (Photo: GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)

COVID-19 in Africa: no room for complacency

COVID-19 in Africa: no room for complacency

"Despite over 100 000 confirmed cases and infections in every country, the passage of COVID-19 through the African continent remains somewhat enigmatic. High numbers of deaths were expected in the region due to fragile health systems, lack of access to preventive measures, barriers to testing, and potentially vulnerable populations. But, according to WHO, Africa is the least affected region globally, with 1·5% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases and 0·1% of the world's deaths." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Ten Actions To Boost Low & Middle Income Countries’ Productive Capacity For Medicines

Ten Actions To Boost Low & Middle Income Countries’ Productive Capacity For Medicines

"Low and middle-income countries urgently need affordable personal protective equipment, diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to ward off even bigger waves of COVID-19 infection and mortality – and global production capacity is failing to ensure timely supply even of those products now on the market. Now, more than ever, producers in poor countries need to be integrated into the health products ecosystem – at national, regional and global level – something that is good for public health, local economic development – and global public health security." (Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

‘Here, we cannot practice what is preached’: experiences of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe

‘Here, we cannot practice what is preached’: experiences of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe

“Since the lockdown in Zimbabwe was mandated beginning on March 30th, I take my daily walks to get out of the confines of my house. As the weeks progress, these walks have become…busier. Cars everywhere, people everywhere. My local potato and tomato vendors started reappearing at street corners, attempting to sell their produce. At one point I asked one of the vendors if the lockdown had ended, and I had somehow missed that announcement. No, the lockdown hadn't ended but the need to feed their families and earn some income had intensified. As one vendor gently mentioned ‘kusiri kufa ndekupi’ which loosely translates to ‘we are all going to die anyways’." – Constancia Mavodza." (Photo: UN Women/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Report 19 - The Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on HIV, TB and Malaria in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Report 19 - The Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on HIV, TB and Malaria in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

"COVID-19 has the potential to cause disruptions to health services in different ways; through the health system becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, through the intervention used to slow transmission of COVID-19 inhibiting access to preventative interventions and services, and through supplies of medicine being interrupted. We aim to quantify the extent to which such disruptions in services for HIV, TB and malaria in high burden low- and middle-income countries could lead to additional loss of life." (Photo: CDC Global/flickr, CC BY 2.0)

En Afrique, la catastrophe sanitaire annoncée n’a pas encore eu lieu

En Afrique, la catastrophe sanitaire annoncée n’a pas encore eu lieu

"Les pays africains sont dans l’ensemble peu touchés par le Covid-19. La jeunesse de la population et le climat freinent sans doute la transmission du coronavirus mais l’évolution de la pandémie est incertaine, d’autant que le confinement de la population est intenable." (Photo: Social Distancing in the Market/World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Covid-19 and sub-Saharan Africa’s critical care infrastructure

Covid-19 and sub-Saharan Africa’s critical care infrastructure

"The covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly challenged our previously held assumptions about global disease epidemiology. Classic public health teaching promulgates the theory of a prevailing epidemiologic transition—one in which the burden of disease morphs from predominantly infectious causes to non-communicable causes as countries industrialize. That theory has now been turned on its head as public health campaigns in industrialized countries promote basic hygiene, while restrictive lockdowns upend regular life. For many, these developments feel like regression to a hitherto forgotten era, with industrialized nations now living the contemporary experience of many in developing countries." (Photo: 217 Cuban Health Specialists arriving in South Africa to curb the spread of COVID-19/GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)

Mobilization for and in Africa is certainly insufficient

Mobilization for and in Africa is certainly insufficient

"The ​Geneva Health Forum​, created in 2006 in Geneva, was forced to postpone its eighth annual conference, from March to 16-18 November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that has not prevented the Forum’s leadership, including GHF Director, Dr Eric Comte, from responding to the unprecedented challenge created by the crisis. From a small and modest gathering of booths and stands, the ​Geneva Health Forum has grown into an international event with a strong array of scientific sessions. ​Geneva Solutions interviewed Comte to hear about the role GHF is playing in the present emergency, and his views gleaned from years in epidemic management." (Photo: DFID - UK Department for International Development/flickr, CC BY 2.0)

COVID-19 und die Situation in Zentralamerika und der Karibik

COVID-19 und die Situation in Zentralamerika und der Karibik

Vor allem europäische Tourist*innen und danach Reisende aus den USA haben das Coronavirus in diese Region gebracht, wo sich die Epidemie Ende März 2020 noch weitgehend im Anfangsstadium befindet. Schwache und teilprivatisierte Gesundheitssysteme, in meist hochverschuldeten Ländern mit einem Grossteil der Bevölkerung ohne formelle Anstellung und mit schwachen Sozialversicherungssystemen, lassen für die kommenden Monate Böses ahnen. Von Beat Schmid, Koordinator von AMCA in Zentralamerika. (Leon Nicaragua. Foto: Massimo Pedrazzini)

COVID-19 cases top 10 000 in Africa

COVID-19 cases top 10 000 in Africa

Brazzaville/ Cairo, 7 April 2020 – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has risen to more than 10 000 and caused more than 500 deaths. While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, infection has grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread. Reaching the continent through travellers returning from hotspots in Asia, Europe and the United States, Africa’s first COVID-19 case was recorded in Egypt on 14 February. Since then a total of 52 countries have reported cases. Initially, mainly confined to capital cities, a significant number of countries in Africa are now reporting cases in multiple provinces. (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Briefing: Five ideas on how to ease the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns in Kenya

Briefing: Five ideas on how to ease the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns in Kenya

"NAIROBI - Africa was one of the last regions to register a confirmed coronavirus case, but COVID-19 is now spreading fast. There have so far been more than 9,400 confirmed cases in 52 countries, with no sign yet of a slow down. Governments initially responded with travel bans and flight restrictions. As coronavirus cases have climbed, most African countries have implemented social distancing measures – including lockdowns and curfews – to try and contain the secondary spread within communities. But in cities like Nairobi, two-thirds of the 4.4 million people are crammed into informal settlements that lack basic services, and entire families can live in a single room." (Photo: Ben Cappellacci/flickr, CC BY 2.0)

The World Bank’s 2017 pandemic response fund isn’t working

The World Bank’s 2017 pandemic response fund isn’t working

"How do the world’s poorest nations tackle a global health crisis like the current novel coronavirus outbreak? After the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the World Bank launched the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) — an insurance-based mechanism to raise money for pandemic responses in low-income countries through “catastrophe bonds” and derivatives. The coronavirus pandemic is exactly the situation for which the PEF was designed. Most of the PEF-eligible countries are reporting cases of covid-19 (the disease caused by this coronavirus) and urgently require billions of dollars to scale up their public health response. So far, the PEF has yet to pay out a single dollar. Here’s what happened and why." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

How do you say 'social distancing' in Swahili?

How do you say 'social distancing' in Swahili?

"What do bleeding gums, the heart, and social distancing have in common? Aside from their medical implications, they are all challenging key phrases to translate, highlighting a “blind spot” in emergency responses, experts told Devex. As fears mount over the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income countries, health agencies have been ramping up communications to warn people of the virus and how to stay safe." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

CORONAVIRUS Dans le Sud, le pire est à venir. Quelle solidarité du Nord?

CORONAVIRUS Dans le Sud, le pire est à venir. Quelle solidarité du Nord?

"Dans les pays en développement, le pire sur le front du coronavirus reste à venir. Mais déjà aujourd’hui les mesures de confinement prises par divers gouvernements du Sud, notamment en Afrique, ont un impact dévastateur sur la vie et l’économie de pays particulièrement vulnérables. En début de semaine, l’ONU a lancé un cri d’alarme en demandant que les Etats du Nord débloquent 2500 milliards de dollars d‘aide en faveur du Sud."

Wenn New York überfordert ist, was passiert dann in Nairobi?

Wenn New York überfordert ist, was passiert dann in Nairobi?

"In Afrika wächst die Sorge vor einer ungebremsten Ausbreitung des Virus. Denn die Ärmsten können ihm kaum entfliehen. (...) Ärzte und Pflegekräfte nähern sich Kranken nur in Schutzanzügen, vor den Spitälern reiht sich Sarg an Sarg, das Gesundheitssystem steht am Rande des Kollaps: die Schreckensbilder der Ebola-Epidemie in Westafrika sind uns Europäern derzeit auf schauerliche Weise präsent. Nach konservativen Schätzungen der WHO starben von 2014 bis 2016 über 11'000 Menschen an der Infektionskrankheit. Die Dunkelziffer dürfte weit höher sein." (Foto: MMS)

Contextualizing COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement in sub-Saharan Africa for effective epidemic control: Fighting the “Infodemic”

Contextualizing COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement in sub-Saharan Africa for effective epidemic control: Fighting the “Infodemic”

"WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous. ” (Munich Security Conference on Feb 15, 2020). (...) In the face of limited resources and weak health systems, the COVID-19 pandemic presented sub-Saharan Africa with new challenges: the urgent need for diagnostics, care and treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, the increased burden on health systems and collapsing economies. (...) To win this virus war and impending social disruption, there is a need for effective risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) – an essential component of health emergency and response activities." (Photo: Prachatai/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Schnell lernen - und hoffen

Schnell lernen - und hoffen

"Auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent gibt es immer mehr Corona-Infizierte. Experten fürchten, ein Ausbruch wie in Europa, werde die fragilen Gesundheitssysteme überlasten - mit schlimmen Folgen." (Foto: Protecting shared Microphones/ MONUSCO/ Radio Okapi/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Wie schützt man Flüchtlingslager vor Coronaviren?

Wie schützt man Flüchtlingslager vor Coronaviren?

"Humanitäre Organisationen bereiten sich auf einen Ausbruch der Epidemie in Idlib oder auf Lesbos vor. Viele notwendige Massnahmen lassen sich kaum umsetzen. Ein Schreckensszenario könnte in den kommenden Tagen zur Gewissheit werden: der Ausbruch der Corona-Epidemie in der syrischen Region Idlib." (Foto: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

WHO-Direktor sagt warnend: «Afrika muss sich auf das Schlimmste vorbereiten»

WHO-Direktor sagt warnend: «Afrika muss sich auf das Schlimmste vorbereiten»

"Noch gibt es erst wenige Corona-Fälle auf dem Kontinent. Dennoch droht das Virus Afrika in seiner Entwicklung um Jahre zurückzuwerfen. 769 Infizierte, 19 Tote: Nimmt man die bisher bestätigten Covid-19-Fälle in den Ländern Afrikas als Massstab, scheint der Kontinent bisher nur am Rande betroffen von der weltweiten Corona-Krise. Bis dato wurden in 33 von 54 Staaten Infektionen nachgewiesen. Am meisten sind es in Ägypten (210) und Südafrika (150)." (Foto: President Cyril Ramaphosa briefs media on South Africa's first case of Covid-19 Coronavirus/GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)

Yves Daccord: «Cette pandémie nous pousse à penser l’impensable»

Yves Daccord: «Cette pandémie nous pousse à penser l’impensable»

"Le directeur général du CICR quitte ses fonctions en pleine tempête sanitaire mondiale. Mais si Yves Daccord s’inquiète des effets immédiats de la maladie, il redoute encore plus les crises économiques et politiques qu’elle entraînera." (Photo: swissnex San Francisco/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

What the West Can Learn From Africa’s Ebola Response

What the West Can Learn From Africa’s Ebola Response

"A poor country succeeded in fighting off Ebola. Wealthier countries should replicate Liberia’s strategy in combating the coronavirus. (...) Those first days of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and Liberia’s response from that point on can offer important lessons to European and North American governments in light of the World Health Organization’s announcement that the new coronavirus is now a pandemic—and the evidence in rising caseloads from Madrid to London to New York." (Photo: USAID U.S. Agency for International Development/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

"As travelers cancel flights, businesses ask workers to stay home, and stocks fall, a global health crisis becomes a global economic crisis. In any health crisis, our first concern is (and should be) with the health of those affected. More than 4,000 people have died worldwide and more than 113,000 cases have been confirmed in over 110 countries. But unfortunately, the economic impacts also have dramatic effects on the wellbeing of families and communities. For vulnerable families, lost income due to an outbreak can translate to spikes in poverty, missed meals for children, and reduced access to healthcare far beyond COVID-19. While the spread in the United States and Europe absorbs much of the media coverage, confirmed cases from Bangladesh to Brazil, from Cameroon to Costa Rica, and in many other low- and middle-income countries mean that many of the economic impacts may affect the world’s most vulnerable populations." (Photo: Trade for Development/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

EQUINET Information sheet on COVID-19

EQUINET Information sheet on COVID-19

"This brief summarises and provides links to official, scientific and other resources to support an understanding of and individual to regional level responses to the epidemic of ‘novel coronavirus’, also known as COVID-19.On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and on March 11 2020 it declared it a pandemic. The International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 term a PHEIC an extraordinary eventthat constitutes “a risk to other States through the international spread of disease”, requiringa coordinated international response."

Bearing the brunt of covid-19: older people in low and middle income countries

Bearing the brunt of covid-19: older people in low and middle income countries

"A global expert group on older people might be useful: The global response to covid-19 has been described as being “too little, too late.” National and international efforts are now gathering pace. Those involved in these efforts can draw on a rapidly growing body of research, much summarised in regularly updated guidelines published by national and international authorities, covering the latest information on the virus, its mode of transmission, its spread, and the susceptibility of different groups within the population. Although many aspects of this new infection remain uncertain, one thing is already clear. The risk of dying from covid-19 increases with age, and most of the deaths observed are in people older than 60, especially those with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease." (Photo: MMS)

South Africa to Become Africa’s First mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Hub – WHO Asks Big Pharma to Support Scaleup
Photo: Province of British Columbia/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

South Africa to Become Africa’s First mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Hub – WHO Asks Big Pharma to Support Scaleup

"Africa could start producing its own cutting-edge COVID-19 vaccines within a year via an mRNA technology transfer hub that is being set up in South Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday. But the speed at which the new hub may be able to swing into full-scale vaccine production depends on whether pharmaceutical companies with proven mRNA vaccines will commit to supporting the initiative, according to WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan."