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Response to the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic Across Africa: Successes, Challenges, and Implications for the Future

Ogunleye OO 1 , Basu D 2 , Mueller D 3 , Sneddon J 4 , Seaton RA 4 , Yinka-Ogunleye AF 5 Show all authors , Wamboga J 6 , Miljković N 7 , Mwita JC 8 , Rwegerera GM 9 , Massele A 10 , Patrick O 11 , Niba LL 11 , Nsaikila M 11 , Rashed WM 12 , Hussein MA 12 , Hegazy R 13 , Amu AA 14 , Boahen-Boaten BB 15 , Matsebula Z 16 , Gwebu P 16 , Chirigo B 16 , Mkhabela N 16 , Dlamini T 16 , Sithole S 16 , Malaza S 16 , Dlamini S 16 , Afriyie D 17 , Asare GA 18 , Amponsah SK 19 , Sefah I 20 , Oluka M 21 , Guantai AN 21 , Opanga SA 22 , Sarele TV 23 , Mafisa RK 24 , Chikowe I 25 , Khuluza F 25 , Kibuule D 26 , Kalemeera F 26 , Mubita M 26 , Fadare J 27 , Sibomana L 28 , Ramokgopa GM 2 , Whyte C 2 , Maimela T 2 , Hugo J 29 , Meyer JC 30 , Schellack N 30 , Rampamba EM 30 , Visser A 31 , Alfadl A 32 , Malik EM 33 , Malande OO 34 , Kalungia AC 35 , Mwila C 35 , Zaranyika T 36 , Chaibva BV 37 , Olaru ID 38 , Masuka N 39 , Wale J 40 , Hwenda L 41 , Kamoga R 6 , Hill R 42 , Barbui C 43 , Bochenek T 44 , Kurdi A 45 , Campbell S 46 , Martin AP 47 , Phuong TNT 48 , Thanh BN 48 , Godman B 30

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria
  • 2 Department of Public Health Medicine, Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
  • 3 Charlotte Maxeke Medical Research Cluster, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • 4 Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
  • 5 Department of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, Nigeria
  • 6 Uganda Alliance of Patients' Organizations (UAPO), Kampala, Uganda
  • 7 Institute of Orthopaedic Surgery "Banjica", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • 8 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
  • 9 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Botswana and Department of Medicine, Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana
  • 10 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
  • 11 Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Bamenda, Cameroon
  • 12 Children's Cancer Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
  • 13 Pharmacology Department, Medical Division, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
  • 14 Pharmacy Department, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Mbabane, Eswatini
  • 15 Department of Psychology, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Mbabane, Eswatini
  • 16 Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, Manzini, Eswatini
  • 17 Pharmacy Department, Ghana Police Hospital, Accra, Ghana
  • 18 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
  • 19 Department of Medical Pharmacology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
  • 20 Ghana Health Service, Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
  • 21 Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 22 Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 23 Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville-campus, Durban, South Africa
  • 24 Independent Researcher, Mafeteng, Lesotho
  • 25 Pharmacy Department, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
  • 26 Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
  • 27 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University , Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
  • 28 Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
  • 29 WHO Collaborating Centre for Social Determinants of Health and Health in all Policies, Pretoria, South Africa
  • 30 School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
  • 31 Eugene Marais Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa
  • 32 National Medicines Board, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan
  • 33 Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
  • 34 Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya
  • 35 Department of Pharmacy, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
  • 36 Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
  • 37 Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
  • 38 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
  • 39 Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians, Harare, Zimbabwe
  • 40 Independent Consumer Advocate, Brunswick, VIC, Australia
  • 41 Medicines for Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • 42 Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
  • 43 WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  • 44 Department of Nutrition and Drug Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
  • 45 Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
  • 46 Centre for Primary Care, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
  • 47 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
  • 48 Pharmaceutical Administration & PharmacoEconomics, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Hanoi, Vietnam
Front Pharmacol, 2020;11:1205.
PMID: 33071775 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01205

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed considerable lives. There are major concerns in Africa due to existing high prevalence rates for both infectious and non-infectious diseases and limited resources in terms of personnel, beds and equipment. Alongside this, concerns that lockdown and other measures will have on prevention and management of other infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are an increasing issue with rising morbidity and mortality rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that a lack of nets and treatment could result in up to 18 million additional cases of malaria and up to 30,000 additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: Document current prevalence and mortality rates from COVID-19 alongside economic and other measures to reduce its spread and impact across Africa. In addition, suggested ways forward among all key stakeholder groups.

Our Approach: Contextualise the findings from a wide range of publications including internet-based publications coupled with input from senior-level personnel.

Ongoing Activities: Prevalence and mortality rates are currently lower in Africa than among several Western countries and the USA. This could be due to a number of factors including early instigation of lockdown and border closures, the younger age of the population, lack of robust reporting systems and as yet unidentified genetic and other factors. Innovation is accelerating to address concerns with available equipment. There are ongoing steps to address the level of misinformation and its consequences including fines. There are also ongoing initiatives across Africa to start addressing the unintended consequences of COVID-19 activities including lockdown measures and their impact on NCDs including the likely rise in mental health disorders, exacerbated by increasing stigma associated with COVID-19. Strategies include extending prescription lengths, telemedicine and encouraging vaccination. However, these need to be accelerated to prevent increased morbidity and mortality.

Conclusion: There are multiple activities across Africa to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and address misinformation, which can have catastrophic consequences, assisted by the WHO and others, which appear to be working in a number of countries. Research is ongoing to clarify the unintended consequences given ongoing concerns to guide future activities. Countries are learning from each other.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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