The health and economic burden of the coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to overwhelm healthcare systems and to exert a negative influence on the global economy. Of particular concern is the impact of COVID-19 in low-income settings - especially in terms of their capacity to mitigate a surge in COVID-19 cases. Indeed, response measures currently in place to tackle the spread of COVID-19 in geographic regions predominantly consisting of low-income nations, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), remain tenuous and will require context-appropriate interventions. Control measures to tackle COVID-19 in SSA should therefore be informed through lessons learned from past outbreaks and emergencies on the continent. These lessons will represent a key source of guidance for the strategic implementation and promotion of public health interventions to assist scale-up of COVID-19 case management, infection prevention and control. Importantly, as governments in SSA continue to combat the spread of COVID-19, there will be a need to expand the coverage of social safety net programs and fiscal policy responses to tackle the socio-economic and health impact of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; fiscal policy; healthcare systems; interventions; social safety net programs; sub-Saharan Africa.