COVID-19 pandemic: Review of impediments to public health measures in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Atieme Joseph Ogbolosingha, Ayesha Singh

The first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case in Sub-Saharan Africa was reported in Nigeria on 27th February 2020, and within weeks the disease spread to all African countries, except Lesotho as of 1st May 2020. In this review, we have evaluated the public health measures initiated in sub-Saharan African countries to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, highlighted the impediments to these measures, and provided recommendations. We reviewed the strategies initiated in Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, and Burundi. It was found that the governments of these countries initiated several measures, including hand and respiratory hygiene, maintaing a distance from other people, quarantining travellers, and isolating symptomatic cases. Moreover, the lockdown was instituted to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda, while in Burundi there was no lockdown. However, the fragile medical infrastructure, poor living conditions, lack of social welfare system, draconian lockdown implementation strategies, and inconsistent information from authorities have impeded the success. The lockdown and social distancing measures have not reduced the rate of infection in these countries, and the implementation of the measures was sporadic and not backed up with increased capacities of diagnostic tests. It is strongly recommended that sub-Saharan African countries increase testing and follow scientific evidence in cautiously easing the lockdown, and develop postpandemic plans to revitalize the medical and socioeconomic infrastructure. In conclusion, the governments of these countries should look inward for solutions to their problems and avoid implementing western anti-COVID-19 policies without consideration of the peculiarities in African societies.