ACCRA, April 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) —African countries have fewer coronavirus cases than much of the world, but weaker healthcare systems do put the continent at risk.
Lockdown measures can help prevent the virus spreading, yet governments have taken very different approaches to imposing restrictions on their populations.
Some, like Ghana, are now easing these measures, concerned about their impact on the poor and because they’ve taken other steps against the virus.
Ghana did place lockdown restrictions on its major cities – which it has now largely lifted. But a ban on social events, and school closures will remain in place for the time being.
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has said increased testing and improved treatment centres meant they could ease measures.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has also relaxed some restrictions in those parts of its capital city, Kinshasa, that had been badly hit by coronavirus.
And some countries did not implement severe restrictions in the first place.
Tanzania reported its first case in mid-March and the government closed education centres, but public and religious gatherings were not prohibited and it only suspended international flights on April 11.
Many African countries have had experience in combating infectious diseases, and many took tough measures even before they reported outbreaks.
Some 13 countries closed schools before documenting their first cases of Covid-19.
The South African government has said it will gradually ease the lockdown from April 30, but is currently enforcing one of the harshest lockdowns anywhere in the world.
It has closed schools and universities, limited hospital and prison visits, and restricted movement to key workers. All public gatherings apart from funerals are banned – and the army have been deployed to enforce it.
Nigeria, by far Africa’s most populous nation, closed its land borders and banned all international flights in late March.
It then shut down its major cities of Lagos and Abuja, following more than 100 reported cases, and restricted movement between states.
Zimbabwe did a total lockdown around the same time, although it only had a small number of infections.
Kenya has had a partial lockdown, with travel in and out of major cities banned. It also had an overnight nationwide curfew, that has resulted in more than 400 arrests for violations.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the body that co-ordinates pandemic responses across the continent, said that lockdowns have played a role in reducing new cases.
“Without the lockdown we would have seen a more explosive outbreak,” says director John Nkengasong.
He adds that it’s not just the lockdown itself, but also what else you do during that period.
“You intensify your testing, your isolation and your contact tracing so that when you unlock the system at least you have created a huge impact on the virus spread.”
It’s important to say that coronavirus is a much greater risk to older populations, putting particular pressures on countries in Europe.
The median ages in Italy and the UK are about 45 and 40 for example, whereas the average age in sub-Saharan Africa is about 20.
However, that’s not to say other factors don’t come into play in Africa such as sanitation and limited access to good healthcare.
There are economic concerns – Western countries have put huge sums into supporting businesses and social welfare schemes. But many African countries simply do not have that option.
And overseas remittances, a big source of income, will decrease, further harming local economies. — NNN-AGENCIES
