State of the Pandemic, Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia
development

Period. 30 March – 5 April 2020

Pandemic activity is increasing rapidly in Africa, with reported cases growing by 185% over the past week. At least 50 countries have reporting more than 7,100 confirmed cases and 289 deaths. South Africa has reported the largest number of cases (1,462), although almost half the continent’s cases are in four Northern Africa countries, including Algeria (986), Egypt (865), Morocco (735) and Tunisia (455). Alongside sporadic imported cases, most countries are also reporting local transmission, which remains a critical risk, with at least 15 countries now reporting more than 100 cases each.

The UN and regional authorities have expressed concern over sub-Saharan Africa, as limited diagnostic testing kits and public health surveillance capacity may be masking and further exacerbate local outbreaks. Healthcare workers are also acutely at risk, with at least 123 confirmed cases. National governments have warned of limited stress tolerance of health systems to the anticipated surge in cases over the next two weeks, requesting urgent support from regional partners and the international community.

This development is part of the digest;