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1 [1] (March 5, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govecng0001 and id is 1 raw text is: ~~~~~~t I rfri.i the eiltv eaesne11 Updated March 5, 2021 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Impact in Africa Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa) has confirmed far fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita than many other regions to date, but a second, deadlier wave of cases has hit many African countries since late 2020. Confirmed cases remain concentrated in a handful of countries, led by South Africa (Fig. 1). South Africa also has conducted the most COVID-19 tests in absolute terms, and in late 2020 discovered a new, more virulent variant of the virus that has spread worldwide. Africa's estimated case fatality rate surpassed the global average in early 2021, possibly due, in part, to the emergence of new virus variants. Figure I. Total Confirmed Cases and Deaths in Africa As of 2/18/21 %of Cases % of Deaths (Total cases: 2,643,169) (Total deaths: 68,670) S _uth Sou th Africa 56.7% Africa 70.9% Nigeria 5.7% Ethiopia 5.7% Ethiopia 3.3% SKenya 3.9% udan 2% Ghana 3.0% Kenya 2.6% -Other 25.% Nigeria 2.6%/ -Other 17.8% Source: CRS graphic, based on analysis by Research Assistant Sarah Collins of data from WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-I 9) Dashboard Some experts attributed Africa's relatively low confirmed caseloads in 2020 to the early implementation of robust containment measures, along with the region's youthful populations and other factors. Poor transportation infrastructure, limiting international and domestic travel, may also have slowed transmission in the region. Cases also are likely underreported due to testing capacity constraints and some countries' refusal to track or share data. The pandemic has further weakened Africa's already fragile health systems, sickening thousands of local health workers and disrupting efforts to respond to other diseases and public health challenges. Preventive measures, such as social distancing and frequent handwashing, are challenging in areas with limited access to clean water and sanitation, including in crowded urban settlements, prisons, and camps for displaced persons and refugees. (Africa hosts over a quarter of the world's refugees, per U.N. data.) The pandemic's regional economic impact has been severe, due to a drop in global demand for key natural resource exports (e.g., fossil fuels and certain minerals), the disruption of global trade and tourism, and the impact of local lockdown measures. Remittances from African workers abroad have also declined. In late 2020, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that as a region, Africa would see a 3% economic contraction that year, the biggest recession in decades, with a limited https://crsrepo rebound to 3% growth in 2021. The World Bank and World Food Program (WFP) predict dire implications for already widespread poverty and food insecurity in the region. African Government Responses Public Health Responses. Despite capacity challenges, many African governments quickly ramped up disease surveillance, case isolation, contact tracing, and behavior change campaigns in early 2020, drawing on lessons from managing past outbreaks of other infectious diseases (e.g., Ebola and tuberculosis). By mid-March 2020, most had restricted air travel, border crossings, large gatherings, nonessential businesses, and, in some cases, domestic transit. Some imposed curfews. Starting in late April, many African countries began to loosen constraints on religious services, markets, transportation, and education. Some (e.g., South Africa and Rwanda) later re-imposed restrictions amid case spikes; others continued to lift restrictions while urging continued protective measures such as masks. Several countries have pursued innovative responses to the pandemic. For example, Senegalese institutions have worked with a British firm and private foundations to develop and produce an inexpensive rapid COVID-19 test kit. Rwanda and Ghana are using drones to deliver medical supplies to rural areas, and Rwanda has used robots to take patient vital signs in clinics. South African cell phone firms have supported the creation of a telemedicine system. The African Union's Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC, founded in 2015 with U.S. and Chinese support) has helped build local capacity to detect and respond to COVID-19 by training lab, medical, and immigration personnel, and by providing test materials and personal protective equipment. In mid-2020, Africa CDC launched the non-profit Africa Medical Supplies Platform to support pooled purchases of medical supplies and COVID-19 vaccines. This effort aims to reduce costs, ease procurement, and overcome global trade and supply disruptions. Several African countries began administering vaccines in early 2021, though South Africa's rollout was complicated by the new variant. Economic Responses. Many African governments have reallocated budget resources and instituted economic stimulus measures. Some have provided aid for their most vulnerable citizens-supported, in some cases, by U.N. agencies, private firms, local civic groups, and diaspora members. Most African governments, however, lack sufficient domestic resources to import medical supplies, cushion local economies, and build up food stocks sufficiently. Many African leaders have appealed for new donor aid and/or debt relief in the context of the pandemic. Governance Implications. Several African heads of state have invoked emergency executive powers to respond to COVID-19, with varying degrees of legislative approval. Some have imposed restrictions on political and civil rts.congress.gov

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