Coronavirus in Africa

Anthony Fauci (right), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks alongside President Biden following a meeting of the COVID-19 response team at the White House on Monday.

The omicron variant is cause for concern — but not panic, Biden says

3:40pm November 29, 2021

by Brian Naylor

President Biden said that while restrictions imposed on travelers from several nations in southern Africa would slow the variant's entry, the U.S. will eventually see cases.

A vile containing Pfizer vaccine to be administered is seen ahead of the launch of the VaxuMzansi National Vaccine Day Campaign in South Africa on Sept. 24, 2021.

New coronavirus variant in South Africa raises concern

6:46pm November 25, 2021

by Martin Kaste

The World Health Organization is holding an emergency meeting on Friday to review the variant. While it's too soon to tell exactly how the new variant functions, virologists are rushing to learn more.

Maji Hailemariam Debena in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Opinion: Africans Shouldn't Have To Pull Strings To Get COVID Treatment

9:15am May 12, 2021

by Maji Hailemariam

When Maji Hailemariam and her dad got sick with COVID in Ethiopia, she was frustrated by how difficult it was to get tested and treated. She urges governments that it doesn't have to be that way.

A pupil receives hand sanitizer upon returning to school in Johannesburg on July 6. Since easing its lockdown, coronavirus cases have spiked and the government is introducing some restrictions.

South Africa Introduces Alcohol Ban And Curfew As Coronavirus Surges

2:12pm July 13, 2020

by Eyder Peralta

The country has more than 276,000 cases, surpassing Italy, Spain and other hard-hit nations. President Cyril Ramaphosa says the worst is yet to come.

In Nairobi's Kibera slum in April, Nancy Andeka, 45, teaches her and her neighbor's children at home as schools are closed due to the coronavirus.

As Kenya Keeps Schools Shut, Teen Pregnancies Are Rising

10:21am July 11, 2020

by Eyder Peralta

The country's schools are closed until January as the coronavirus surges. Meanwhile, officials say there's an increase in underage expecting mothers.

A man carries a box of protective masks to emergency workers Thursday in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The West African country has seen relatively few confirmed cases of the coronavirus to this point — but global health officials fear that won't alway

U.N. Agency Fears 'Vulnerable' Africa May Suffer At Least 300,000 COVID-19 Deaths

1:22pm April 17, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

And that's the best-case scenario laid out by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The commission said the continent, in the worst case, may see up to 3.3 million deaths this year alone.

Informal vendors gather on Wednesday in front of a municipal office building in Johannesburg to try to obtain a permit for working amid the national lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

World Bank: Coronavirus Is Pushing Sub-Saharan Africa To First Recession In 25 Years

1:32pm April 09, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to some of the world's fastest-growing economies. But the World Bank projects its economies could pull back as much as 5.1% this year, driven by the coronavirus pandemic.

People get their temperatures taken at the border between Abuja and the Nasarawa State, Nigeria, on March 30. African countries are working to prepare for the rise in cases of COVID-19 as the coronavirus spreads on the continent.

Health & Safety

10,000 Cases and 500 Deaths in Africa. Health Officials Say It's Just the Beginning

6:30pm April 08, 2020

by Pien Huang

Millions of people in Africa are at high risk for COVID-19 and lack reliable access to doctors or medical equipment. Health officials are focusing on preventing the spread of the disease.

Kathungu Kinyatole plants a tree to honor a loved one she lost to the Ebola virus.

Alternative Mourning Rituals Offer Comfort And Closure During An Outbreak

3:33pm April 02, 2020

A program in the Democratic Republic of Congo has helped survivors mourn the loss of a loved one to Ebola — and may be relevant for families coping with death in the COVID-19 pandemic.

A South African soldier enforces the lockdown order in downtown Johannesburg on Friday.

South Africa Reports First COVID-19 Deaths, Goes Into 3-Week Lockdown

9:02am March 27, 2020

by Scott Neuman

At midnight Thursday, security forces began enforcing the order against all but essential movement. Meanwhile, the health ministry reported two COVID-19 deaths among nearly 1,000 confirmed cases.