Africa at the ‘tail-end’ of vaccine race
“As richer countries elbow their way to the front of the queue for COVID-19 vaccines, how soon can African countries hope to obtain supplies?”
News & Analysis: DRC
Majority of Africans would take a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine
Analysis and Opinion Burkina Faso / Cote d'Ivoire / DRC / Ethiopia / Gabon / Kenya / Malawi / Morocco / Niger / Nigeria / Senegal / South Africa / Sudan / Tunisia / Uganda Africa CDC Press release by John Schellhase“A survey conducted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has shown that a predominant majority (79% average) of respondents in Africa would take a COVID-19 vaccine if it were deemed safe and effective.”
COVID-19 vs. Ebola: Impact on households and small businesses in North Kivu
Analysis and Opinion DRC World Development Report/Study by John Schellhase“Different infectious disease outbreaks can have very different effects, largely unrelated to case numbers of the disease. Moderately lethal but highly transmissible viruses such as COVID-19 can trigger a steep economic downturn, especially in areas with high economic interconnectedness, reflecting both national and international policies to contain the pandemic.”
COVID-19 vs. Ebola: Impact on households and small businesses in North Kivu
Analysis and Opinion DRC World Development Report/Study by John Schellhase“Different infectious disease outbreaks can have very different effects, largely unrelated to case numbers of the disease. Moderately lethal but highly transmissible viruses such as COVID-19 can trigger a steep economic downturn, especially in areas with high economic interconnectedness, reflecting both national and international policies to contain the pandemic.”
COVID-19 drives 40% spike in number of people needing humanitarian aid
Latest Developments Burkina Faso / DRC / Nigeria / South Sudan Reuters Article/Blog post by John Schellhase“The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a 40% increase in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance around the globe, the United Nations said… as it appealed for roughly $35 billion to help many of those expected to be in need next year.”
A successful Ebola vaccine delivery shows how a COVID-19 vaccine would work in Africa
Analysis and Opinion DRC Quartz Africa Article/Blog post by John Schellhase“The Ebola vaccine developed by Merck also used ultra-cold equipment of about -70 oC and we were able to deploy that vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo to respond to the North Kivu outbreak where more than 300,000 people were immunized.”
WHO looks to boost virus safety awareness in Africa
Latest Developments DRC Anadolu Agency Article/Blog post by John Schellhase“The World Health Organization has launched a new coronavirus safety awareness campaign targeting Africa’s youth population. The Mask Up campaign aims to reach over 40 million young people in Africa on social media by end of 2020.”
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Community Health Workers Support Sustainable Health Systems and COVID-19 Response
Analysis and Opinion DRC / Ethiopia / Liberia / Nigeria / Uganda Wilson Center Article/Blog post by John Schellhase“Community health workers have been critical in risk communication, contact tracing, transporting supplies, and ensuring the continuity of essential services. Community health workers serve as the link between the community and the response team, which is important to building trust and encouraging the uptake of health interventions.”
Community engagement and vaccinations during the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo
Analysis and Opinion DRC World Bank Article/Blog post by John Schellhase“Lessons learnt from the Ebola outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo have shown that risk communications and community engagement are critical and should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination strategies.”
A policy trade-off? The impacts of stringent COVID-19 lockdowns
Analysis and Opinion Cote d'Ivoire / DRC / Ghana / Kenya International Growth Centre Article/Blog post by John Schellhase“New evidence suggests more moderate virus containment measures may be as effective in saving lives as stringent lockdowns – while saving economies.”
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