A clinic in the suburb of Lagos, Nigeria. Africa's threadbare healthcare system is fighting to cope with the pandemic/Photo: WHO Africa

Africa’s COVID-19 death rate now higher than global rate

According to a new report of the global news agency Reuters, Africa’s coronavirus case fatality rate stands at 2.5%, higher than the global level of 2.2%, a trend that is alarming experts.

Earlier in the pandemic, Africa’s death rate had been below the global average, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) head John Nkengasong is quoted as having told reporters on Thursday.

“The case fatality rate is beginning to be very worrying and concerning for all of us,” he said.

The number of African nations with a death rate higher than the current global average is growing, Nkengasong added. There are 21 countries on the continent with a death rate of above 3%, including Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan, the report said.

Over the past week, cases decreased by nearly 7% compared to the previous week while deaths increased 10%, according to Africa CDC data. Africa has recorded 3.3 million coronavirus infections and 81,000 deaths as of Thursday, the report says.

The continent reported 207,000 new cases in the past week, with South Africa alone reporting 100,000 of those new cases, Nkengasong is quoted of having said.

Kola Tella

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