The World Health Organisation has projected that Africa could see the loss of about 200, 000 lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO says this situation is likely if African governments and citizens fail to set and follow appropriate and strict protocols to halt the spread of the virus.
A new research suggests that between 29 million and 44 million people stand a risk of infection in the first year of the pandemic which may lead to between 83,000 and 190,000 deaths, BBC reports.
The research arrived at the projections based on a prediction model after gathering data from 47 countries in the WHO African region with a combined population of one billion.
South Africa leads Africa’s case count with 8,200 people confirmed positive and 160 deaths while Algeria has the most deaths, 483.
Every African country has recorded a case except Lesotho.
The caution follows the decision of more African government to ease restrictions and permit movement of persons.
According WHO Africa head Matshidiso Moeti, “Covid-19 could become a fixture in our lives for the next several years unless a proactive approach is taken by many governments in the region”
“We need to test, trace, isolate and treat.”
“It likely will smolder in transmission hot spots,” says WHO Africa head Matshidiso Moeti said in a statement.
Source: ABCNewsGh.com