My thoughts on the coronavirus crisis
I have read many articles by experts stating that the COVID-19 pandemic will reach an alarming rate about two weeks from now in Africa. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has asked for an emergency economic stimulus of $100 billion for Africa. I have even read about recommendations for immediate debt relief for developing countries which shows the seriousness of the economic havoc that this pandemic would cause.
Ironically five (5) African countries are yet to record any cases of COVID-19. Nigeria which is the most populous country in Africa has witnessed 4 deaths out of a population of almost 200 million or thereabout. This region can be described as the poverty centre of the world with over 90 million people living in extreme poverty.
I fear that more people will die from issues tangentially related to COVID-19 than the disease itself like hunger and starvation, just to mention a few. These deaths can be avoided if we are sensitive to our peculiar environment that requires people to go out every day to work in order to feed themselves. With half of the population living in extreme poverty, many of them will run out of money and food within the 14-day lock down. Would they not be honestly justified in going out to fend for their families and wellbeing at that point? This scenario is a tinderbox. Our leaders need ingenuity in order to tackle this situation.
We are at war with a virus and as a country we must develop our own strategy in order to defeat this enemy. We must not adopt the cut and paste approach. Our solution must be corruption free, adapted to our environment and open. We strongly advocate that medication currently being used in isolation centres should be made available like pure water nationwide – even if it is chloroquine!!!
Please stay safe, practice social distancing, exercise and remain spiritually fulfilled. I wish each and every one of us pristine health.
Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.
This is a well thought article. I ask myself the same question – how deadly is this disease compared to hunger? Or even malaria?!! Our government needs to do better and since there’s no playbook to mitigate this virus, everyone including citizens need to work together to combat this virus.
Ayo,this gives food for thought: dealing with the “tangentially related” issues, which border the meltdown of both the formal and informal economy, will test government and wider society. I hope we have the wherewithal as a nation to tackle the upcoming challenges!
Here lies an article clearly stating our nation’s realities and deficiencies in the war against covid 19. Has the writer clearly said people may die of hunger long before the disease gets to their doorstep. Palliative measures put in place by govt seems to be inadequate and am afraid if this continues the purpose of the lockdown may be defeated. May God help us all.
I think this is a very delicate situation. People need to eat but at the same time, if the virus spreads rapidly, many people will die. When even strong health systems are struggling, one wonders how our very weak health system would fare if thousands of people got infected.I do not know what our own indigenous solution may be but whatever it is, we have to act fast as the virus is spreading and people are hungry!