n African Journal of Reproductive Health - COVID-19 : addressing Health Systems Deficits and Peculiarities in the African Region

Abstract

Despite weeks of uncertainty and speculation, it is now evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken firm root in much of sub- aharan Africa. As of July 27, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 712,920 COVID-19 cases in Africa, with 11,900

deaths, and a case fatality rate of 1.7%1. These cases in the African continent account for 4.4 % of the total number of 16,114,449 cases of COVID-19 reported in the six WHO world regions during the same period. The 11,900 deaths in Africa accounts for approximately 1.8 % of the 646,641 associated with global deaths. Of note, is the observation that a preponderance of the cases and mortality in Africa (up to 70%) are concentrated in five countries – Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana