Africa, which had practically no cases a month ago, now has more than 7,000, with infections in almost every one of its 54 countries. The West African nation of Mali is more like it, with 20 ventilators for a population of 20 million: One per million. Malawi, in East Africa, also only has 20 ventilators for its 18 million citizens; while Liberia, hard-hit by Ebola in 2014, has no intensive care unit beds. This is close to the same initial estimate of what Ebola was predicted to take in West Africa in 2014 – 1.4 million infections. The powerful nations which parachuted into the West African capitals of Monrovia, Freetown, and Conakry are today overwhelmed by the virus with their economies in freefall.

Source: Front Page Africa April 08, 2020 06:56 UTC