Nobody in the world, least in Africa’s busy daily informal sector activities, could have imagined that a virus would directly impact their lives in such a devastating manner. Due to incapacitated healthcare systems, the continent of 1.3 billion people is not new to millions of deaths to lethal yet preventable diseases like cholera, TB and malaria. Most people never even knew about a place called Wuhan in China, where the deadly COVID 19 virus was first reported in December 2019. The after effects of the pandemic will this year plunge sub Saharan Africa’s economies into a recession for the first time in 25 years according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The impact on already vulnerable countries figures to be more profound, not least because governments in these countries cannot avail themselves of the fiscal and monetary tools employed in industrialized countries.
Governance still leaves a lot to be desired, as corrupt political actors use the route of state office to amass wealth. It is no wonder most African leaders seek treatment abroad because they know that their countries’ public health systems have all but collapsed. But just how did Africa find itself in such a gaping social services and healthcare deficiency cesspit? A quick glimpse into current realities will provide more perspective.
The absurd curve
Africa's first diagnosed case of COVID-19 was reported in Egypt on February the 13th.
