REGIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST COVID IN DEALING WITH HEALTH PANDEMICS IN AFRICA

There has been much interest in how Africa seems to have comparatively avoided the worst of the coronavirus pandemic outbreaks that have ravaged so much of the rest of the world. This is not to say that Africa is and will not suffer from the global COVID impact.

- FRANCIS A. KORNEGAY, JR

The pandemic is already having what could be a long-term secondary impact in interrupting social and economic activities thereby slowing Africa’s economic growth and integration into the global economy at a point when the delayed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is set to become operational in 2021. The global pandemic disruption delays by a year the completion of its launch which now is in 2021. Further, the disruption and slowdown of the global economy overall affect Africa. But African Academy of Sciences research shows, thus far, that the continent’s younger population age structure, pre-existing protective immune responses, comparative genetic factors and public health responses of African governments informed by past epidemic outbreaks, all combined, have contributed to a situation in which, although Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population, reported COVID death account for only 3.5% globally.