Page 48 - Diplomatists Nov

SP E CIAL REPOR T
here has been much interest in how Africa
seems to have comparatively avoided
Tthe worst of the coronavirus pandemic
outbreaks that have ravaged so much of the rest
of the world. This is not to say that Africa is and
will not suffer from the global COVID impact.
The pandemic is already having what could be a
long-term secondary impact in interrupting social
and economic activities thereby slowing Africa’s
economic growth and integration into the global
economy at a point when the delayed African
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is set to
become operational in 2021. The global pandemic
disruption delays by a year the completion of its
launch which now is in 2021. Further, the disruption
and slowdown of the global economy overall aff ect
Africa. But African Academy of Sciences research
REGIONAL COOPERATION
AGAINST COVID IN DEALING WITH
HEALTH PANDEMICS IN AFRICA
BY FRANCIS A. KORNEGAY, JR*
48 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 8 • Issue 9 • November 2020, Noida
shows, thus far, that the continent’s younger
population age structure, pre-existing protective
immune responses, comparative genetic factors
and public health responses of African governments
informed by past epidemic outbreaks, all combined,
have contributed to a situation in which, although
Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population,
reported COVID death account for only 3.5%
globally.
That said, Africa seems to have managed to
acquit itself fairly respectably as a demonstration
of continental and regional cooperation. No small
amount of this was due to the coinciding of South
Africa’s assuming the chairmanship of the African
Union (AU) amid South Africa itself becoming the
continent’s major pandemic hotspot. This added yet
one more challenge confronting President Cyril