The World Health Organization notes that while it took 98 days for Africa to pass the 100,000 mark, it took only 18 days to reach the number of 200,000 patients who tested positive for Covid-19.
WHO Regional Director Matshidiso Moeti said that intra-community infections now occur in more than half of the African countries.
One of the main continental challenges remains the insufficient number of tests. However, the Botswana doctor believes that there is no evidence that the number of serious cases and deaths is greatly underestimated. But “until an effective vaccine is available, I am afraid we will have to live with a steady increase in the region,” warns Matshidiso Moeti.
Africa currently accounts for only 3% of cases worldwide. According to WHO, this situation could be explained by the youthfulness of the continent’s population, but also by the health control measures already in place at borders as part of the fight against Ebola hemorrhagic fever epidemics, in particular.