The Impact on Public Health and Economy Using Lockdown as a Tool against COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: A Perspective

Nyarko Ro,Ampong Ga,Kahwa I,Asare B,Asum C,Nayembil Da,Boateng Po,Boateng E

doi:10.16966/2471-8211.188

Abstract

Background: Since the spread of Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) most African countries have embarked on a system of either total or partial lockdown and have used it as a tool for curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Highlights

The purpose of a lockdown is intended to stop people from moving between places, it could mean putting data in place to record the movement of people from place to place in a particular location
The researchers found that a total lockdown without Mass testing which is best or symptomatic testing for countries with fallen and weak economies since mass texting is capital intensive, Contact Tracing and Treating that are strongly interspersed with Public and Community health education and health campaigns through the mass media in both international and local dialects, all efforts of lock down become a zero or empty and defective process and this shows that lock down is no cure, has never been a cure, and shall not be a cure to the COVID-19 pandemic and any other future pandemics
The researchers think that it is time public health systems of African countries are strengthened with befitting budgets, human resource developments of all kinds of cadres in the health and economic sectors, more public health educators should be recruited to use the mass media be it local radio stations, television stations, internet to educate the masses in their local dialects for better understanding on the effects of COVID-19 pandemics on respective countries, precautions, preventions and safety steps to follow even when one is suspected to have been infected with the disease

Summary

Results

After a careful study and analysis of countries like Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan who did not really make lock down as a major measure in fighting the COVID-19 disease still saw a stable economy, a drastic containment of the pandemic, few deaths and more recoveries as compared to countries in Africa like south Africa which is the worst affected African country, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal that embarked on massive lockdown either partially or completely but still showing plummeting inflation, declining gross domestic product, loss of capital for business groups, loss of jobs especially in the informal sectors, (negative growth with Ghana an exception) due to disruption of the world economy through global value chains, abrupt fall in commodity prices and fiscal revenues and enforcement of travel and social restrictions all due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that a total lockdown without Mass testing which is best or symptomatic testing for countries with fallen and weak economies since mass texting is capital intensive, Contact Tracing and Treating that are strongly interspersed with Public and Community health education and health campaigns through the mass media in both international and local dialects, all efforts of lock down become a zero or empty and defective process and this shows that lock down is no cure, has never been a cure, and shall not be a cure to the COVID-19 pandemic and any other future pandemics

Conclusion

Introduction

Corona virus disease statistics