COVID19 has had both economic and life impact on Africa. Investment and job creation by major governments in Africa have largely stalled. The economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic has already been seen by investors and has delayed major projects to be implemented here in Africa. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that Africa’s economy will contract 1.5 percent of the target by 2020 – a loss of nearly $ 200bn (£ 163.5bn) in regional revenue and that Africa has suffered a major economic setback.
South Africa introduced the first batch of Covid vaccine. In addition to bilateral agreements with manufacturers, South Africa is developing vaccines from a plan supported by the World Health Organization Covax, as well as through the African Union program to reach people affected by COVID 19.
Covax is a global initiative by countries to pool their resources to support the development of vaccines while ensuring that all countries have access to effective vaccination justice to protect the people of Africa.
South Africa is one of the countries with the highest number of Covid cases. It faces the greatest impact compared to other African countries. South Africa has so far confirmed a total of 20 million doses, to be delivered by the first half of the 2021 vaccine, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Critics of the government say the government has been slow to respond the impact of the pandemic.
Although the effects of COVID 19 are widespread in Africa, more than a third of all Covid-19 cases in Africa have been in South Africa and there are growing concerns about the effects of a new strain of the virus. As reported by international journalists From Cameroon to South Africa, from Kenya to Tunisia and Madagascar, they are investigating the spread of the outbreak and it appears to have had a major impact on the economy and the death toll has risen by a second wave.
Africa does not currently have the capacity to develop an effective vaccine against COVID19. Dr. MatshidisoMoeti, WHO’s director for Africa, said African countries are always at the back of new technologies and public health interventions, including vaccines such as the one currently being developed for Covid 19.