Africa’s 54 countries have so far reported fewer than 20,000 confirmed cases of the disease, just a fraction of the more than two million cases reported globally. But the World Health Organization warned on Thursday that Africa could see as many as 10 million cases in three to six months.
“To protect and build towards our shared prosperity at least $100 billion is needed to immediately resource a health and social safety net response,” the UNECA report stated.
UNECA is also backing a call by African finance ministers for an additional $100 billion in stimulus, which would include a halt to all external debt service.
The agency modelled four scenarios based on the level of preventive measures introduced by African governments.
In the total absence of such interventions, the study calculated over 1.2 billion Africans would be infected and 3.3 million would die this year. Africa has a total population of around 1.3 billion.
Most of Africa, however, has already mandated social distancing measures, ranging from curfews and travel guidelines in some countries to full lockdowns in others.
Yet even its best-case scenario, where governments introduce intense social distancing once a threshold of 0.2 deaths per 100,000 people per week is reached, Africa would see 122.8 million infections, 2.3 million hospitalisations and 300,000 deaths.
Combating the disease will be complicated by the fact that 36% of Africans have no access to household washing facilities, and the continent counts just 1.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people. France, in comparison, has 5.98 beds per 1,000 people.
Africa’s young demographic - nearly 60% of the population is below the age of 25 - should help stave off the disease. On the other hand, 56 per cent of the urban population is concentrated in overcrowded slums and many people are also vulnerable due to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malnutrition.
Africa imports 94% of its pharmaceuticals, the report said, noting that at least 71 countries have banned or limited exports of certain supplies deemed essential to fight the disease.
“In a best-case scenario ... $44 billion would be required for testing, personal protective equipment, and to treat all those requiring hospitalisation,” it stated.
However, that is money Africa does not have as the crisis could also shrink the continent’s economy by up to 2.6%.
“We estimate that between 5 million and 29 million people will be pushed below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day owing to the impact of COVID-19,” the report said.
Source: Reuters
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And how many Europeans and Americans is the UN predicting are going to die? They want to push this also to become an African disease like they did for HIV but the lORD will protect us and it shall not come to pass.
Abomination United Nations! Your predictions for African to die from Covid 19 as indicated is hereby rebuke in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. U N is not God to predict the death of God's creation. People who were destined die because their lack of faith in the Creator and continued to doubt the greatness of God will be destroyed by the coronavirus. Your wicked plans will never be successful. That's why Donald Trump discovered the wickedness of W H O when she continued misleading the world. They created lots of disease all over the globe to enable them enrich themselves. Psalm 37:40 Is Watching Over African, God Almighty Is Watching Over His Loyal Ones.
They should come and kill us if the coronavirus fails to kill us. Wicked people. It pains them that africa is not competing with them in terms of deaths.
***barred word*** devilish conspiracy on we Africans won't work for you swine whites and pink ***barred word***. God punish your mother's wombs and generations after. Damn you all so called ***barred word*** westerners.
This witches and wizard can't just stop wishing the worse for Africa. We safe in Jesus name
We reject it in JESUS NAME
Back to sender! thunder fire you! Africans, we are not discriminatory, racist that is why God is on our side so by His strides Africa will overcome this pandemic. Shame unto you UN
I WANT TO ASSURE THE UN AGENCY AND W.H.O THAT AFRICA COUNTRIES WILL SAIL THROUGH SINCE WE DONT ENTERTAIN GAYS AND LESBIANS ON OUR HOLY GROUND. OUR DEATH RATE WILL NEVER GET TO THEIR ESTIMATION IN THE MIGHTY OF GOD.
This will never happen. who can do all their statistics yet africa will come out whole and the champion. because the whites are dying we dont pray for that but that number will neve die in africa in Jesus name.