16 Health & Science Sunday, March 1, 2020 Vulnerable continent: Africa and the coronavirus

PARIS: The first detected case of coron- countries, it could easily spread across avirus in Africa highlights the vulnerabili- borders in all directions, abetted by high ty of the world’s poorest continent to overall vulnerability and a string of weak Virus to cost world outbreaks of contagious diseases. Much national health systems along the way,” of Africa struggles with conflicts, poor the report warned. “Though we have tourism at least $22bn health infrastructure, crowded cities with seen modern diseases rapidly transmitted inadequate sanitation, rickety governance all over the world through interconnected and porous borders — all of which pro- travel, it is these vulnerable states with MADRID: The deadly coronavirus epidemic will cost world vide excellent opportunities for the porous borders and weak or conflict- tourism at least $22 billion owing to a drop in spending by Chinese microbe to spread, experts say. affected neighbors that face the greatest tourists, the head of the World Travel and Tourism Council said. World Health Organization (WHO) risks and potential health challenges.” The COVID-19 epidemic has killed more than 2,760 people, mostly chief Ghebreyesus has in China — where it first emerged in December — and infected recently pleaded with African Union Weak health systems more than 81,000 in over 45 countries. states “to come together to be more Past epidemics in Africa — from “It is too soon to know but the WTTC has made a preliminary aggressive in attacking” the virus. “Our and HIV to drug-resistant TB and calculation in collaboration with (research firm) Oxford Economics biggest concern continues to be the Ebola — have already triggered loud which estimates that the crisis will cost the sector at least $22 bil- potential for COVID-19 to spread in warnings about the continent’s problems lion,” Gloria Guevara told El Mundo daily. countries with weaker health systems,” in health care. They range from public PRETORIA: Travellers wearing masks use their mobile phones at OR Tambo “This calculation is based on the experience of previous crises, said Tedros, referring to the virus by its awareness and disease screening to lack International Airport, Johannesburg, on February 28, 2020 amid fear of Covid-19 such as SARS or H1N1, and is based on losses deriving from Chinese official name. The first case south of the of doctors, nurses, drugs and hospital epidemic. — AFP tourists who have not been travelling in recent weeks,” she said. Sahara was announced on Friday in beds — and the heightened risks for “The Chinese are the tourists who spend most when they travel.” Nigeria’s mega-city of Lagos. Two pre- people already weak from malnourish- There is “real fear that health systems only South Africa won high marks for The loss figure, which equates to about 20.2 billion euros, is the vious cases in Africa were detected in ment or a damaged immune system. become swamped and unable to manage preparedness, while Nigeria, Ethiopia, most optimistic scenario envisaged by the study which was pub- Egypt and Algeria. A 2016 analysis by According to the World Bank, per- their ongoing health care, thereby pre- Sudan, Angola, Tanzania, Ghana and lished on February 11 by Oxford Economics, taking the hypothesis the Rand Corporation, a US thinktank, capita health expenditure in sub-Saharan senting an even greater threat than the would all need support, it said. of a 7.0 percent drop in overseas trips by Chinese nationals. found that of the 25 countries in the Africa in 2016 was just $78 (70 euros), virus,” she noted. In a study of anti- In early February, just South Africa But the losses could more than double, reaching as much as $49 world that are most vulnerable to infec- compared to $1,026 on average in the coronavirus prepared