Pandemic accelerating in Africa, says WHO

The speed the coronavirus jumped from 100,000 to 200,000 confirmed cases in Africa shows just how quickly the pandemic is accelerating on the continent, says the World Health Organization.

A mother puts a facemask on her child in Cape Town, South Africa. Source: ABACA

The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating in Africa, spreading to the hinterland from capital cities where it arrived with travellers, the World Health Organisation says.

But it says there is no indication that severe cases and deaths are being missed, nor has the virus caused significant infections in refugee camps across the continent.

Ten countries are driving Africa's epidemic, accounting for 75 per cent of the some 207,600 cases on the continent, with 5,000 deaths reported, according to Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's Africa regional director.

South Africa, which last month began a phased easing of the lockdown, is the hardest-hit, accounting for a quarter of all cases.

Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. Source: Keystone

"Even though these cases in Africa account for less than 3 percent of the global total, it's clear that the pandemic is accelerating," Ms Moeti told a news briefing for Geneva-based UN correspondents on Thursday.

"We believe that large numbers of severe cases and deaths are not being missed in Africa."

She said Africa's population was relatively youthful and many countries had already established "point of entry" screening measures against Ebola fever - two factors that may had so far limited the spread of COVID-19.

But lockdowns and market closures intended to contain coronavirus contagion had taken a heavy toll on marginalised communities and low-income families, Ms Moeti said.

Men wearing face masks walk past a mural in Cape Town, South Africa. Source: AP

In South Africa, high numbers of daily cases and deaths were being reported in two provinces, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, she said, adding: "Specifically in the Western Cape where we are seeing a majority of cases and deaths, the trend seem to be similar to what was happening in Europe and in the US."

A major challenge on the continent remained the availability of test kits, Ms Moeti said.

"Until such time as we have access to an effective vaccine, I'm afraid we'll probably have to live with a steady increase in the region, with some hotspots having to be managed in a number of countries, as is happening now in South Africa, Algeria, Cameroon for example, which require very strong public health measures, social distancing measures to take place."