What will it cost to end the pandemic?
“A new paper argues that it’s possible to end the ‘acute phase’ of the pandemic early next year by vaccinating 60% of the population of every country.”
“A new paper argues that it’s possible to end the ‘acute phase’ of the pandemic early next year by vaccinating 60% of the population of every country.”
“The estimated death rate for Sub-Saharan Africa is 14 times the official number.”
“With airports shut and many travelers in the rich world locked in their homes, the number of foreign tourists visiting Kenya slumped by almost three-quarters.”
“Even if vaccines come soon, African treasuries will still need help to avoid drawn-out debt crises and growth-choking cuts to spending.”
“In Rwanda the number of mobile-money transfers doubled in the week after a lockdown was imposed in March, according to data collected by the telecommunications regulator and analysed by Cenfri, a South African think-tank. By late April users were making 3m transactions a week, five times the pre-pandemic norm.”
“Elsewhere a lack of testing makes it harder to assess the true course of the disease. But what data there are, and new analysis by the World Health Organisation (who), suggest the virus is spreading more slowly in Africa than elsewhere—and that its path will vary across the continent.”
“As economies reopen, activity will recover, but don’t expect a quick return to a carefree world of unfettered movement and free trade. The pandemic will politicise travel and migration and entrench a bias towards self-reliance. This inward-looking lurch will enfeeble the recovery, leave the economy vulnerable and spread geopolitical instability.”
“It is often difficult to assess the information that is collected. Patient records in health clinics, for example, are almost always written by hand, and then often gather dust in a corner. Moreover, when governments do publish data online they frequently use formats that make the numbers hard to collate and analyse.”
“As the pandemic wreaks havoc on economies and public finances, the natural question is: who’s next? More than 100 countries, including South Africa, have asked the imf for help.”
“Zambia is arguably the developing country facing the biggest debt crisis in the era of COVID-19. Nearly half of its tax revenues go towards debt service; add the public wage bill and there is little left. In 2019 its budget deficit was 10.9% of GDP.”