African countries have imposed tough measures against COVID-19. But it may come at the cost of other untreated diseases such as malaria and AIDS.
As early as February - when the coronavirus outbreak was still almost exclusively restricted to
So far, however, the official figures in
According to the
So far, 3,100 deaths in
Initial analysis suggests that the relatively low death rate in
Routine vaccinations for children interrupted
It's crucial, however, to keep an eye on the potential "collateral damage" as a result of the fight against coronavirus, says
Jung points out that the strict lockdowns implemented in many African countries have interrupted routine vaccinations for children. She's worried the measures introduced by authorities to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus may indirectly lead to an increase in other infectious diseases such as measles, especially in children.
The most recent figures from WHO appear to confirm Jung's fears: Globally, 117 million children in 24 countries - the majority of them African - have not received their measles vaccinations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gavi, a global vaccine alliance based in
COVID-19 weakens fight against AIDS and tuberculosis
Like much of the world, many African countries have also restructured their health systems to be better prepared for the COVID-19 outbreak. But while this seems like a reasonable plan, it also means that in many places, numerous routine healthcare programs have been affected.
According to Jung from
"Because of coronavirus, the masks which are needed to help treat tuberculosis patients are now missing everywhere in
In addition, people living with AIDS are particularly susceptible to becoming infected with tuberculosis -around a third of Africans living with AIDS have the TB.
According to a study by WHO and UNAIDS, treatment of AIDS patients is also currently restricted. Because the supply of antiretroviral drugs can no longer be guaranteed in many places, this and next year more than 500,000 additional people could die from AIDS.
Will malaria cases double?
"Coronavirus or not, malaria is and remains by far the biggest cause of death in
He warns that up to twice as many people could die from malaria this year in
"Here in
He mentions a specific case in Huambo,
At the end of April, WHO also warned of an impending increase in deaths from malaria: According to their estimates, 769,000 malaria-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa should be expected in 2020 in the worst-case scenario - twice as many as 2018.
In comparison, WHO currently forecasts
The threat of hunger looms
The collateral damage as a result of the coronavirus outbreak shouldn't won't just impact the fight against other diseases.
"Coronavirus can also kill through hunger," says
"Large parts of
Many people face the possibility of not being able to afford food, with prices rising due to the coronavirus crisis. Because of the lockdown, day laborers have lost their jobs and no longer have any income. Curfews have made securing supplies difficult.
"It's not just the virus itself, but the effects of the countermeasures are also placing an enormous burden on people," says Reubelt. "Combined with hunger, coronavirus could become a deadly scourge in
"The anti-coronavirus measures that many African countries have taken have increased hunger significantly," he told DW. "Fields can no longer be cultivated due to border restrictions."
The situation in
"The food situation was already threatened by this plague and now coronavirus is coming - another crisis."
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