Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed considerable lives. There are major concerns in Africa due to existing high prevalence rates for both infectious and non-infectious diseases and limited resources in terms of personnel, beds and equipment. Alongside this, concerns that lockdown and other measures will have on prevention and management of other infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are an increasing issue with rising morbidity and mortality rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that a lack of nets and treatment could result in up to 18 million additional cases of malaria and up to 30,000 additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.ObjectiveDocument current prevalence and mortality rates from COVID-19 alongside economic and other measures to reduce its spread and impact across Africa. In addition, suggested ways forward among all key stakeholder groups.Our ApproachContextualise the findings from a wide range of publications including internet-based publications coupled with input from senior-level personnel.Ongoing ActivitiesPrevalence and mortality rates are currently lower in Africa than among several Western countries and the USA. This could be due to a number of factors including early instigation of lockdown and border closures, the younger age of the population, lack of robust reporting systems and as yet unidentified genetic and other factors. Innovation is accelerating to address concerns with available equipment. There are ongoing steps to address the level of misinformation and its consequences including fines. There are also ongoing initiatives across Africa to start addressing the unintended consequences of COVID-19 activities including lockdown measures and their impact on NCDs including the likely rise in mental health disorders, exacerbated by increasing stigma associated with COVID-19. Strategies include extending prescription lengths, telemedicine and encouraging vaccination. However, these need to be accelerated to prevent increased morbidity and mortality.ConclusionThere are multiple activities across Africa to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and address misinformation, which can have catastrophic consequences, assisted by the WHO and others, which appear to be working in a number of countries. Research is ongoing to clarify the unintended consequences given ongoing concerns to guide future activities. Countries are learning from each other.
Highlights
COVID-19 and Key Risk FactorsThe novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 was first reported in Hubei Province in China in December 2019 (Guan et al, 2020; Li Q. et al, 2020; World Health Organisation, 2020a; Wu and McGoogan, 2020), and has subsequently spread to all continents (WHO, 2020a)
These include documenting the epidemiology among a range of African countries principally based on epidemiology data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO)
The aforementioned precedes discussing ongoing strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19 as well as their subsequent impact on morbidity and mortality in populations across Africa
Summary
COVID-19 and Key Risk FactorsThe novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 was first reported in Hubei Province in China in December 2019 (Guan et al, 2020; Li Q. et al, 2020; World Health Organisation, 2020a; Wu and McGoogan, 2020), and has subsequently spread to all continents (WHO, 2020a). For people of Black Afro-Caribbean origin alongside those from South Asia, has emerged as a significant factor associated with a higher mortality risk versus the white population in Europe and the United States of America (USA) (Bambra et al, 2020; Khunti et al, 2020; Kirby, 2020; Pan et al, 2020; Pareek et al, 2020; Public Health England, 2020) It is currently not fully understood how ethnicity, poverty and deprivation, cultural and behavioral differences, as well as underlying health, interplay in morbidity or mortality risk especially with currently lower mortality rates in Africa at the end of June 2020 compared with a number of European countries and the USA (WHO, 2020a). The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that a lack of nets and treatment could result in up to 18 million additional cases of malaria and up to 30,000 additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa
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