Global Campaign

Some of the most vulnerable children and their families across Africa who depend on the informal economy for their livelihoods are and will increasingly be impacted by measures designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, Save the Children is warning, as the number of people on the continent infected with COVID-19 reached 10,000 yesterday

LONDON, March 27, 2020 – Swift action to contain the spread of coronavirus would save at least three million lives in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia according to new research from Imperial College, but this prediction understates the number of lives at stake, warns Save the Children. The Imperial College modelling compares different scenarios for the Covid-19 response. The first is early and decisive action to test and isolate cases, promote social distancing, and treat affected populations. This predicts 800,000 deaths. Delayed action increases that figure to almost four million deaths.

As the number of Covid-19 cases across the African continent rose dramatically this week, health systems that serve some of the most vulnerable and marginalised children and families in the world will come under ever-increasing strain, warns Save the Children. There are now at least 2,412 confirmed cases[i] across 43 countries in Africa - an increase of more than 500 per cent since 17 March[ii] - with only nine countries without a confirmed case.