According to official statistics, only about 8.5 million cases of covid-19 have been developed in African countries since the beginning of the outbreak. For a continent home to nearly 1.4 billion people, that seems too good to be true—and as it turns out, it is.
World Health Organization (WHO) data found that fewer than 15% of covid-19 cases in African countries are correctly reported. Overall, nearly 60 million people contracted the virus in the continent, though even that number might not be accurate, given the small reach of testing in the region.
The WHO estimates about 70 million covid-19 tests have been administered on the continent, or fewer than 6 per 100 people, since the beginning of the pandemic. The most tested African country, Gabon, administered 50 tests per 100 people, and South Africa about 30 tests per 100 people. By way of comparison, Austria administered up to 1,038 tests per 100 people, the UK 412 tests per 100 people, and the US 170 tests per 100.
The dangers of overlooking Covid-19 in Africa
The reason for the underreporting and lack of testing is the same: Limited healthcare resources. Most African countries lack basic healthcare infrastructures, such as hospitals or even clinics outside cities, making covid-19 tests and diagnoses harder to come by.
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