Pandemic accelerating in Africa, WHO says

The World Health Organization said on Thursday, that the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating in Africa, spreading to the hinterland from capital cities where it arrived with travellers.

Ten countries are driving Africa’s epidemic, accounting for 75% 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, she said.

“Even though these cases in Africa account for less than 3 percent of the global total, it’s clear that the pandemic is accelerating,” Moeti told a news briefing for Geneva-based U.N. correspondents.

“We believe that large numbers of severe cases and deaths are not being missed in Africa.” she added.