Bespreek hier alles met betrekking tot de Coronacrisis en het Afrikaanse continent.
Tot nu toe zijn ze er - oppervlakkig gezien, en voor zover wij weten - nog genadig van afgekomen.
Hoe? Dat weet nog niemand. Is het de warmte, het gebrek aan airconditioning/ventilatie, het buitenleven, de jongere populatie? Of is het simpelweg een gebrek aan testen, tracing, opgeleid zorgpersoneel en ziekenhuizen, zodat besmettingen en wellicht zelfs overlijdens flink onder de radar blijven?
En waarom kwamen de eerste besmettingen veel later in Afrika dan in b.v. Europa en de VS? Is het een kwestie van groot verkeer tussen de relatief gezien rijkste en belangrijkste regio's ter wereld, waar Oost-Azië, Europa en de VS toe behoren en Afrika op zeker niet?
Tijd voor een topic. Bundel hier alle kennis, artikelen en ideeën m.b.t. Afrika en de Coronacrisis.
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Noot: artikel van 23 april.‘Window closing fast’ to prevent coronavirus overwhelming Africa as cases rise
‘Window closing fast’ to prevent coronavirus overwhelming Africa as cases rise - Coronavirus cases in Africa increasing sharply
- Africa lacks ventilators and ICU beds, and most people don’t have soap and water at home
- Loss of jobs and disruption to the economy is already hitting many across continent
- Money desperately needed to combat virus and help citizens is ‘wasted’ on debt repayments
Time is running out to prevent coronavirus overwhelming health systems across Africa, warns Christian Aid. As coronavirus infections rise sharply across the continent, and with African countries lacking the specialist equipment or staff to cope with a pandemic, the international development agency is calling for the cancellation of debt repayments from African countries this year, so that money can be freed up and spent instead on saving lives.
There are now over 16,000 coronavirus cases in Africa, an increase of 27% over the previous week, with the number of deaths rising by 43% to over 740. However, with extremely low testing carried out across Africa so far, the true figure is feared to be even higher, with some warning the continent could see tens of thousands of cases in coming weeks.
As the poorest continent in the world, Africa is least equipped to provide the specialist care necessary to treat people infected with coronavirus. According to the World Health Organisation there are less than 2,000 ventilators and 5,000 intensive care unit beds across the Africa region. In addition, Africa has far fewer medical staff per head of population than would be needed to cope with a pandemic.
Africa also has to contend with high rates of underlying health issues and conditions that affect the immune system, which could leave many people particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. As well as malaria and the effects of poor nutrition, many countries also have high numbers of people living with HIV. In total, Africa faces nearly a quarter of the global burden of disease but only has access to 1% of the world’s financial resources for health.
frica also has to contend with high rates of underlying health issues and conditions that affect the immune system, which could leave many people particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. As well as malaria and the effects of poor nutrition, many countries also have high numbers of people living with HIV. In total, Africa faces nearly a quarter of the global burden of disease but only has access to 1% of the world’s financial resources for health.
Efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus require regular hand washing and physical distancing but this is more difficult to achieve in sub-Saharan Africa, when only 15% of people have soap and water facilities at home and many people living either in higher density areas or in cramped homes.
While the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise sharply, the economic fallout of the crisis has already hit many African countries. The UN has warned that nearly half of all jobs in Africa could be lost, which for the two-thirds working hand to mouth through the informal economy were already precarious.
It has been estimated that $5 billion in additional funding is needed to cover the cost of critical supplies for hospitals, including tests, masks, gloves, and ventilators. African finance ministers have called for $100 billion to help them cope with the full extent of the coronavirus crisis.Ventilators in AfricaBurkina Faso – 11 ventilators for 19 million people
Burundi – 50 ventilators for 11 million people
DRC – 65 ventilators for all of Kinshasa’s hospitals
Malawi – 7 ventilators for 18 million people
Mali – 20 ventilators for 19 million people
Sierra Leone – 18 ventilators for 7.5 million people
South Sudan – 4 ventilators for 11.5 million people (IRC estimate)
Zimbabwe – 20 ventilators for 16.5 million
ICU beds in AfricaMalawi – 25 ICU beds for 18 million people
Nigeria – 350 ICU beds for 195 million people
Sierra Leone - no ICU beds
South Sudan – 24 ICU beds (IRC estimate)
Impact of povertyit is estimated that the poorest 10 per cent of South Africans could lose nearly half their income because of the lockdown.
‘Het is raadselachtig waarom Afrika nog niet zo hard is geraakt door het coronavirus’
"The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind." - William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.