This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
Published on July 9, 2020, the African continent's swift response to the COVID-19 pandemic has provided valuable lessons for the rest of the world in meeting this challenge.
Most African countries have moved rapidly to deepen regional coordination, deploy health workers, and enforce quarantines, lockdowns, and border closures.
Despite these efforts, continued vigilance and preparedness are critical as the virus remains a threat to life, livelihoods, and health across the continent.
Standards of living have risen, the digital revolution has taken hold, and the African Continental Free Trade Area is moving from vision to reality. However, COVID-19 has aggravated long-standing inequalities and deepened hunger, malnutrition, and vulnerability to disease.
The United Nations has expressed solidarity with the people and governments of Africa, and with the African Union, in tackling COVID-19. UN agencies, country teams, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian workers are providing training, expertise, and other support.
The UN has called for urgent international action to strengthen Africa's health systems, maintain food supplies, support education, protect jobs, and cushion the continent against lost income and export earnings.
Since the start of the pandemic, the UN has advocated for a global response package amounting to at least 10 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product, which translates to more than $200 billion in additional support for Africa.
The UN continues to advocate for a comprehensive debt framework, starting with an across-the-board debt standstill for countries unable to service their debt, followed by targeted debt relief and a comprehensive approach to structural issues in the international debt architecture to prevent defaults.
As the pandemic unfolds, governments and health authorities must build and retain the trust and participation of their citizens, respecting human rights, the rule of law, and the dignity and equality of all.
Global solidarity with Africa is an imperative now, and for recovering better.
