‘We are not waiting for an outbreak, we’re anticipating it,’ African health official warns
The continent is the least equipped to deal with the coronavirus epidemic
The rapidly spreading coronavirus has wreaked havoc across much of the developed world, yet not a single case has been confirmed so far in Africa — the continent that’s least equipped to deal with the epidemic. Health officials are still bracing themselves for the worst.
Two-way travel between Africa and China, the epicentre of the respiratory illness that’s infected more than 31,000 people since late December, has surged over recent years as they forged closer financial and political ties, raising the region’s risk of exposure. About 20 African nations have already issued alerts of possible cases, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern that a widespread outbreak would overwhelm their fragile health systems...
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