COVID-19 : pandemic burden in Sub-Saharan Africa and the right to health – the need for advocacy in the face of growing privatisation
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Date
Authors
Sehoole, Tshegofatso Joshua
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AOSIS
Abstract
For Africa, the backdrop against which COVID-19 emerged is a stark one. Although subSaharan Africa accounts for 11% of the world’s population, it bears 24% of the global disease
burden. The continent is home to 60% of the people with human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV), and over 90% of malarial patients. In this region, infectious diseases such as malaria
and HIV cause 69% of deaths. As states respond to COVID-19, we need to keep our eyes
open to what effective responses are notifying us about our healthcare systems, so that we
can craft sustainable interventions as a result and uphold the right to health. This is especially
true in the light of the ongoing nature of pandemics on the continent, making urgent the
need to maximise the value of our health system and its resources, as we seek lasting
transformation.
Description
Keywords
Privatisation, Human rights, COVID-19 pandemic, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Right to health, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Sehoole TJ. COVID-19:
pandemic burden in
Sub-Saharan Africa and the
right to health – the need for
advocacy in the face of
growing privatisation. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine 2020;12(1), a2476. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2476.