Open AccessPossible Reasons Why Sub-Saharan Africa Experienced a Less Severe COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020
Author(s) -
Obinna Ositadimma Oleribe,
Ahmed Suliman,
Simon D Taylor-Robinson,
Tumani Corrah
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of multidisciplinary healthcare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.65
H-Index - 30
ISSN - 1178-2390
DOI - 10.2147/jmdh.s331847
Subject(s) - distrust , pandemic , covid-19 , action (physics) , development economics , public health , incidence (geometry) , economic growth , medicine , disease , political science , environmental health , outbreak , law , virology , economics , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , physics , optics , quantum mechanics
Both scientific authorities and governments of nations worldwide were found lacking in their COVID-19 response and management, resulting in significant distrust by the general public in 2020. Scientific and medical bodies often failed to give the right counsel on the appropriate course of action on COVID-19, because proven steps were not known, while many governments around the world took ineffective, late or inappropriate COVID-19 control and containment strategies. If the 2020 COVID-19 incidence rates are to be believed, much of sub-Saharan Africa had a lower disease prevalence than expected. We put forward six factors peculiar to much of sub-Saharan Africa that may have accounted for the pandemic landscape there in 2020. We also discuss why the situation has become more serious in 2021.