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As of April 28, there are more than 33,627 confirmed cases of COVID 19 in Africa. With the exception of Comoros and Lesotho, the pandemic has spread to 52 countries on the continent. Egypt, South Africa, Morocco and Algeria are the countries with a large number of cases. This global pandemic has put the public health infrastructure in the region under strain. It is also likely to have a detrimental effect on the African economy. As African countries establish strategies to deal with the pandemic, they seek the support of long-standing partners like India.
Vulnerable health systems
The number of COVID positive patients in Africa is comparatively less than in many other parts of the world. For example, as of April 29, there are more than one million confirmed cases in the United States, more than 82,858 in China and 92,584 in Iran. In comparison, South Africa, the country with the highest numbers in Africa, had only 4,996 confirmed cases. However, it is clear that the pandemic will stretch the continent’s health services to the maximum.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former Minister of Health of Ethiopia, urged African countries to realize the threat, as the continent is less equipped to do against highly infectious disease. However, Africa is not new to virus outbreaks and has successfully treated HIV / AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and Ebola in the past. Although health systems have been strengthened since the 2014 Ebola crisis, critical gaps remain. Life-saving equipment, like fans, is a luxury for some African countries. There is also a critical shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, personal protective equipment (PPE), test equipment, and masks.
Economic crash
The World Bank predicted that the pandemic will lead Sub-Saharan Africa to its first recession in 25 years. It predicts that economic growth in the region will decrease from 2.4% in 2019 to between -2.1% and -5.1% in 2020. It also anticipates greater poverty and food insecurity in the region. Simultaneously, several African economies are also facing the double impact of falling commodity prices. The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent suspension of global economic activity have had a disastrous impact on commodity prices. It has led to a drop in the prices of industrial metals like copper. The metal’s price fell to a four-year low last month. This is bad news for African countries like Zambia, where copper accounts for 70 percent of the country’s exports.
In the commodity market, the impact is most visible in the case of crude oil. Last week in the United States, for the first time in history, West Texas crude prices turned negative $ 44 a barrel. The collapse of the price of oil has had a profound impact on African economies that depend on oil revenues. Oil exports are an important source of income for nations such as Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, Egypt, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and others. The impact would be devastating in the case of Nigeria and Angola, as oil accounts for 90 percent of its export earnings and two-thirds of government revenue.
The coronavirus has also affected the tourism sector on the continent. Over the years, tourism had become a major source of income in many African economies. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism contributed 8.5 percent of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018. In addition, the tourism industry in Africa grew rapidly, alongside Asia-Pacific, in the same year. However, due to the pandemic, tourist access points and hotels are closed across Africa. This closure is estimated to lead to a loss of $ 50 billion.
Dealing with the Pandemic
Following their past experience, African governments have emphasized prevention strategies to deal with the crisis. Several countries announced the closure of schools and other educational institutions before documenting their first COVID-19 cases. Most African governments took preventive action by declaring a state emergency or proclaiming the start of a national disaster. Many countries like South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya have been on a blockade to deal with the crisis.
At the continental level, the African Union has established an African Coronavirus Task Force (AFTCOR) to develop a unified strategy. African governments have also decided to establish an African Union Response Fund COVID-19. This fund, launched jointly by the African Union and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa (CDC in Africa), requires a public-private partnership and aims to raise between $ 150-400 million for a medical response sustainable to the pandemic. Several African countries have provided seed funding of $ 12.5 million for this initiative. Private sector organizations such as Africa Health Business, Global Infectious Disease Services and SpeakUpAfrica are partnering on the initiative. Similarly, banks such as Standard Bank and Ecobank are also contributing to this initiative. Although it is a laudable initiative, it is tiny given the requirements of the continent. According to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa needs an estimated $ 114 billion in 2020 in its fight against COVID-19.
India-Africa Association
Africa lacks the financial resources and capacity to mount an effective response to the pandemic. African leaders have called for international support to deal with the crisis. Calls have also been made for debt cancellation. India has a special relationship with Africa. In recent years, it has given high priority to improving relations with the countries of the continent. During the last India-Africa Forum Summit, India pledged to support development projects in the region worth US $ 10 billion. He had also offered an additional donation of $ 600 million. India is expected to present a structured response to support African countries in their fight against the pandemic.
At the moment, India’s response is limited to the supply of antimalarial drugs, hydroxychloroquine, considered effective in the treatment of COVID-19 cases, to several African countries, including Zambia, Madagascar, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Congo, Egypt, Chad, Zimbabwe, Jordan, Kenya, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Algeria, Mauritius, and Seychelles. A video conference with African Union member countries can be considered to explore further cooperation. As the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time for India and African countries to collaborate to control the outbreak of the pandemic and mitigate its long-term economic impact.
Ruchita Beri
Senior Research Associate at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, New Delhi
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