https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85156-5.00047-X
This chapter assesses the recent cases of COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. COVID-19, a global pandemic, is spreading so fast across all continents with African region not left out of its ravaging and devastating effects. Nigeria, on May 31, 2020, became the first country in West Africa to hit the 10,000 mark of confirmed COVID-19 cases. This recent spike in COVID-19 cases with accompanying increase in the number of fatalities calls for concern. As of July 21, 2020, Nigeria ranked third in Africa, just behind South Africa and Egypt, while the total number of confirmed cases in Africa has increased to 736,288. What would have led to the increasing cases in Africa? We found that poverty, hunger, people's violation of health guidelines, and increase in the number of laboratory tests for suspected COVID-19 cases are responsible for the sudden and sustained rise in cases in the continent.
The global emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
in December, 2019 became a major turning point in the global health system. As at 4th May, 2020, the Republic of South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria had 6 783, 6 465 and 2 558 confirmed cases of COVID-19, respectively. Surprisingly, the number of cases in South Africa has risen to 563 598 cases with 10 621 deaths, and the number of cases in Egypt has increased to 95 666 cases with 5 035 deaths while Nigeria has 46 867 cases with 950 deaths[2]. Many African countries that were not having any reported cases of COVID-19 before now have confirmed cases while some experienced a huge spike in the number of confirmed cases due to SARS Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Social, environmental factors seen behind Africa’s low COVID-19 casesSABC News
COVID-19 transmission in Africa has been marked by relatively fewer infections, which have been on the decline over the past two months, owing to a variety of socio-ecological factors as well as early and strong public health measures taken by governments across the region.
Assessment of the Spatial and Temporal Trend of the COVID-19 Pandemic in SenegalAI Publications
Following the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic and the reporting of one case in Senegal, the number of regions with confirmed cases of infection increased considerably, with the disease now being reported throughout the country after 3 months of evolution. It is therefore necessary to assess the evolution of the disease in the country as the situation evolves in order to rapidly identify best practices for adoption. The objective of this paper is to make a preliminary spatial and temporal assessment and comparison of the results of the COVID-19 pandemic in the regions of Senegal. Data on the evolution of COVID-19 (confirmed cases of infection, deaths, recoveries), population, density and area of each region were analysed using a set of statistical tools. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has spread stubbornly in Senegal. In the space of 112 days (from March 2 to June 21), Senegal reached a number of 5888 infected cases for 3919 cured, 1885 active and 84 deaths for a total of 67855 tests performed. About 40 people out of 10,000 have been tested so far and 4 out of 10,000 have tested positive. The Mann-Kendall test indicates that the number of confirmed daily cases is slowly increasing, with the slope of Sen estimated at about 1.2 person/day across the country. In addition, the Pettitt test indicates a sharp change in the upward trend across the country on April 26, 2020. Among the main affected regions, Dakar, Thies and Touba are noted with an extremely high rate of increase. Principal component analysis and hierarchical ascending classification have made it possible to divide Senegal's 14 regions into 3 groups in terms of the number of confirmed cases, active cases, recovered cases and reported deaths, and the population, area and density of the region. The 1st group concerns the Dakar region, the 2nd Diourbel and Thies and the 3rd the other regions. Furthermore, statistics related to COVID-19 in the regions of Senegal are highly correlated with population size and density. This study revealed convincing spatial differences in the evolution of the pandemic between the regions of Senegal. The study recommends that the approaches adopted by regions that have achieved very low levels of COVID-19 be incorporated into health care management plans for the pandemic throughout the country, even as the situation evolves.
The outbreak and subsequent spread of COVID-19 to the West African sub-region have brought significant changes to the different aspects of our lives and grounded educational and socio-political and economic activities of ECOWAS member states. The pandemic has exposed the poor state of the health systems and shortage in medical supplies and protective gears to cope with the health emergency. In response, strict restrictions were put in place to curb the spread of the virus and these have drastically affected peoples’ lifestyles. However, there has been huge increase in the use of technology in business, education, religion and other activities as people adapt to the changing times in the sub-region. It is the argument of this paper that things cannot return to the way they were before the pandemic, but West African states must strategically plan for the Post COVID-19 era to survive the massive wave of unemployment, socio-economic meltdown and changes in lifestyle. The paper concluded that while the fight against the virus in the sub-region was not collective, post-pandemic recovery must be coordinated, strategically plannedamong member states. It was recommended that the governments should be flexible enough to retain the use of ICT and technology alongside the conventional ways of doing things in the post-pandemic era.
Three months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan (China), the African response could be labelled as impressive. Many lessons were learnt by African countries from Ebola epidemic which hit West Africa (2014-2016). Industrial resiliency (mask production at scale), Technological innovations (PCR test local production, machine learning and robotics) and Genomic Prowess (Genome sequence of COVID-19 virus) ; all showed Africa is ready to be part of the global solution to COVID-19. Yet, only 3 clinical trials for vaccine and medicine against the virus were ongoing across the continent at the time of this presentation. The presentation also discusses some of the public health and industrial strategies to build even more resiliency in the continent beyond the pandemic.
In light of the global health crisis, Imperial College Healthcare Club to host the second webinar discussion around Africa’s healthcare system resilience to COVID-19. We are honored to be joined by Dr. Kaouthar Lbiati, who are both currently working on the continent’s response to the pandemic.The event will be a discussion, where the speakers will be presenting their work as well as their views and perspectives around the Healthcare crisis in Africa.
The webinar will focus on :
1. How the healthcare actors based in Africa have been crucial in responding to the pandemic.
3. How the long-term consequences of this crisis can bring major changes in Africa.
Kaouthar Lbiati (MD, MSc) will be emphasising on the wider scope of the healthcare policy & industry and explore the strategies on both that Africa as a continent could
establish to build resilience.
The global emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
in December, 2019 became a major turning point in the global health system. As at 4th May, 2020, the Republic of South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria had 6 783, 6 465 and 2 558 confirmed cases of COVID-19, respectively. Surprisingly, the number of cases in South Africa has risen to 563 598 cases with 10 621 deaths, and the number of cases in Egypt has increased to 95 666 cases with 5 035 deaths while Nigeria has 46 867 cases with 950 deaths[2]. Many African countries that were not having any reported cases of COVID-19 before now have confirmed cases while some experienced a huge spike in the number of confirmed cases due to SARS Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Social, environmental factors seen behind Africa’s low COVID-19 casesSABC News
COVID-19 transmission in Africa has been marked by relatively fewer infections, which have been on the decline over the past two months, owing to a variety of socio-ecological factors as well as early and strong public health measures taken by governments across the region.
Assessment of the Spatial and Temporal Trend of the COVID-19 Pandemic in SenegalAI Publications
Following the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic and the reporting of one case in Senegal, the number of regions with confirmed cases of infection increased considerably, with the disease now being reported throughout the country after 3 months of evolution. It is therefore necessary to assess the evolution of the disease in the country as the situation evolves in order to rapidly identify best practices for adoption. The objective of this paper is to make a preliminary spatial and temporal assessment and comparison of the results of the COVID-19 pandemic in the regions of Senegal. Data on the evolution of COVID-19 (confirmed cases of infection, deaths, recoveries), population, density and area of each region were analysed using a set of statistical tools. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has spread stubbornly in Senegal. In the space of 112 days (from March 2 to June 21), Senegal reached a number of 5888 infected cases for 3919 cured, 1885 active and 84 deaths for a total of 67855 tests performed. About 40 people out of 10,000 have been tested so far and 4 out of 10,000 have tested positive. The Mann-Kendall test indicates that the number of confirmed daily cases is slowly increasing, with the slope of Sen estimated at about 1.2 person/day across the country. In addition, the Pettitt test indicates a sharp change in the upward trend across the country on April 26, 2020. Among the main affected regions, Dakar, Thies and Touba are noted with an extremely high rate of increase. Principal component analysis and hierarchical ascending classification have made it possible to divide Senegal's 14 regions into 3 groups in terms of the number of confirmed cases, active cases, recovered cases and reported deaths, and the population, area and density of the region. The 1st group concerns the Dakar region, the 2nd Diourbel and Thies and the 3rd the other regions. Furthermore, statistics related to COVID-19 in the regions of Senegal are highly correlated with population size and density. This study revealed convincing spatial differences in the evolution of the pandemic between the regions of Senegal. The study recommends that the approaches adopted by regions that have achieved very low levels of COVID-19 be incorporated into health care management plans for the pandemic throughout the country, even as the situation evolves.
The outbreak and subsequent spread of COVID-19 to the West African sub-region have brought significant changes to the different aspects of our lives and grounded educational and socio-political and economic activities of ECOWAS member states. The pandemic has exposed the poor state of the health systems and shortage in medical supplies and protective gears to cope with the health emergency. In response, strict restrictions were put in place to curb the spread of the virus and these have drastically affected peoples’ lifestyles. However, there has been huge increase in the use of technology in business, education, religion and other activities as people adapt to the changing times in the sub-region. It is the argument of this paper that things cannot return to the way they were before the pandemic, but West African states must strategically plan for the Post COVID-19 era to survive the massive wave of unemployment, socio-economic meltdown and changes in lifestyle. The paper concluded that while the fight against the virus in the sub-region was not collective, post-pandemic recovery must be coordinated, strategically plannedamong member states. It was recommended that the governments should be flexible enough to retain the use of ICT and technology alongside the conventional ways of doing things in the post-pandemic era.
Three months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan (China), the African response could be labelled as impressive. Many lessons were learnt by African countries from Ebola epidemic which hit West Africa (2014-2016). Industrial resiliency (mask production at scale), Technological innovations (PCR test local production, machine learning and robotics) and Genomic Prowess (Genome sequence of COVID-19 virus) ; all showed Africa is ready to be part of the global solution to COVID-19. Yet, only 3 clinical trials for vaccine and medicine against the virus were ongoing across the continent at the time of this presentation. The presentation also discusses some of the public health and industrial strategies to build even more resiliency in the continent beyond the pandemic.
In light of the global health crisis, Imperial College Healthcare Club to host the second webinar discussion around Africa’s healthcare system resilience to COVID-19. We are honored to be joined by Dr. Kaouthar Lbiati, who are both currently working on the continent’s response to the pandemic.The event will be a discussion, where the speakers will be presenting their work as well as their views and perspectives around the Healthcare crisis in Africa.
The webinar will focus on :
1. How the healthcare actors based in Africa have been crucial in responding to the pandemic.
3. How the long-term consequences of this crisis can bring major changes in Africa.
Kaouthar Lbiati (MD, MSc) will be emphasising on the wider scope of the healthcare policy & industry and explore the strategies on both that Africa as a continent could
establish to build resilience.
The Coronavirus Disease – 2019 (COVID-19) is officially now a pandemic and not just a public health emergency of international concern as previously labelled. Worldwide, the new coronavirus has infected more than 4.9 million people and leaving more than 300,000 people dead in 188 countries. As countries of the world get locked down in an effort to contain the widespread of the virus, experts are concern about the global impacts of the pandemic on individuals, countries and the world at large. Millions of people are currently under quarantine across the globe. Many countries have responded by proclaiming a public health emergency, closed their borders and restrict incoming flights from high risk countries. This has grossly affected the travel plan of many. Several international programs, conferences, workshops and sporting activities are either postponed or cancelled. As the number of confirmed cases continues to escalate across the globe, hospitals seems to be running out of medical supplies, hospital spaces and personnel. Health workers are being overwhelmed by the numbers of people requesting for testing and treatment. Many of such health workers have been infected with the coronavirus and even lost their lives since the fight against COVID-19 started. Public health experts are also concerned about the huge medical wastes coming from the hospitals at this time and the adverse effects associated with improper management of such medical wastes, both at the hospital and community levels. The pandemic has also impacted negatively on the global economy. There have been serious crises in the stock market, with gross fall in the price of crude oil resulting in inflation and economic hardship among the populace. Many are currently out of job and as a result, the level of crime, protest and violence have continued to escalate in different parts of the world. The deaths of loved ones due to the coronavirus has left many emotionally traumatized. Nigeria, like other African countries is not spared of the ravaging effects of the pandemic, even as the government take strict measures to contain the virus. No doubt, this is very challenging, but the country is capable of surmounting the virus with the needed help from her international partners and cooperation from the citizenry. But if we as a people, remain complacent and continue with business as usual, without taking measures to flatten the curve, the disease will escalate too quickly beyond our capacity to handle and our health system will be overwhelmed and may collapse eventually. We cannot therefore afford to be complacent in our response to containing the pandemic.
This paper clearly shows the statistical analysis of the geographical coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we have mentioned the total cases in comparison with total deaths as well as recovered cases. From this analysis we measure the ratio between the countries in accordance with their geographical location. So that the clear pictures gives why the virus affected this area, in our point the climate and antibiotic plays a vital role in this pandemic. The geographically affected COVID-19 cases are mentioned in the data table neatly.
Case Study The pandemic has been less deadly than elsewhere, but Af.pdfakpatra2000
Case Study: The pandemic has been less deadly than elsewhere, but African
economies have suffered a double blow due to graft.
Widespread corruption during the pandemic has worsened the devastating effect of
COVID-19 on Africas economy. Since the continents first case was recorded on 14
February 2020 in Egypt, the virus has affected all countries in the region.
By 6 April 2022, Africa had 11.5 million confirmed cases and 252 000 COVID-19 related
deaths. However according to the World Health Organization, the number of infections
could be as much as 97 times greater than reported cases. Exposure to the virus in
Africa rose from 3% in June 2020 to about 65% by September 2021 equivalent to
over 800 million cases, far more than the 8.2 million documented in that period.
The health risks of the pandemic have been less severe than elsewhere in the world,
with Africa recording the highest level of asymptomatic cases, estimated at 67%. This
has been attributed mainly to the continents large youthful population and lower rates
of underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases,
which push up hospitalisations and deaths.
Africa has been fortunate in this regard, especially considering its fragile
health systems. But the pandemic exposed structural weaknesses of the continents
economy to devastating effect. Restrictions on movement and commerce curbed
infections but came at a huge cost to Africas already fragile economies.
According to WHO, the number of infections in Africa could be 97 times greater than
reported cases.
According to the African Development Bank, GDP shrunk by 2.1% in 2020, and the
projected export revenue lost from fuel alone was about USD 101 billion that year. With
declining revenues and rising expenditure, fiscal deficits doubled to a historical high of
8.4% of GDP.
The cost of stimulus packages alone ranged from 0.02% of GDP in South Sudan to
about 10.4% in South Africa. As a result, Africas debt burden increased by 10 to 15
percentage points in 2021. Many countries were allowed to default on their foreign debt
with the rising interest rates to tame inflation in advanced countries.
The estimated productive time lost in 2020 due to COVID-19 was equivalent to
around 112 million jobs. In Nigeria, 20% of households lost their employment as of
June 2021, while in South Africa three million jobs were lost during the lockdown. The
pandemic cost Kenya and Ghana over 700 000 jobs. World Bank surveys reveal that
82% of households in Malawi and 80% in Nigeria reported income losses. Likewise,
76% of households in Uganda and 46% in Ethiopia said their incomes had dropped.
About 30 million additional Africans fell into extreme poverty (living on less than USD
1.90 a day) in 2020, with the number estimated to increase to 39 million in 2021. A total
of 465.3 million people, 34.4% of Africas population, were estimated to be in extreme
poverty in 2021.
Most COVID-19 items were procured under a certificate of emergency.
WHO African Region - Africa marks six months on 14 August since COVID-19 was first detected on the continent. While the virus has raced through many other regions of the world, the pandemic’s evolution on the African continent has been different.
The Role of Connected Diagnostics in Strengthening Regional, National and Con...SystemOne
Although numerous disease intelligence and surveillance systems exist, they are plagued with inaccurate or untimely data. We contend, furthermore, that it was this lack of data quality – and not
the lack of surveillance systems or networks – that prevented the global community from acting earlier in response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014–2016. The new field of ‘connected diagnostics’ is one solution to this concern, as it automates data collection directly from the diagnostic instruments to multiple levels of stakeholders for real-time decision-making and policy response.
This article details how the intervention of ‘connected diagnostics’ could solve the primary underlying failure in existing surveillance systems – the lack of accurate and timely data – to enable
difficult political decisions earlier. The use of connectivity solutions can enable critical health and operational data to empower the Africa CDC, regional hubs, and each country with a consistent
and automated data feed while still maintaining country privacy and controls.
Malaria is still considered globally as a leading cause of morbidity with Nigeria carrying the highest burden of 19%. Coinfection of malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) accelerate disease progression of HIV/AIDS subjects. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of malaria among HIV infected subjects attending the antiretroviral therapy Clinic at Federal the Medical Centre, Keffi, Nigeria. After ethical clearance, 200 whole blood specimens were collected from patients who gave informed consent and completed a self-structured questionnaire. The specimens were examined for malarial parasite using rapid kits and microscopy. The overall prevalence of the infection was 78/200 (39.0%). The prevalence was higher in male (44.7%) than female (34.0%) subjects. Those subjects aged < 20 years (54.5), male gender (44.7%), non-formal education holders (61.5%), farmers (62.5%), stream water users (48.1%), those that lives in rural setting (43.6%), those that do not use Insecticides Treated Nets (ITNs) (39.4%) and swampy environment dwellers (41.7%) were identified predictors for malaria infection in the area. All the predictors studied did not show any statistically significant difference with the infection but some arithmetic difference exists (P > 0.05). The 39.0% prevalence of malaria in HIV infected subjects is a public health concern. Therefore, Public health surveillance and health education among HIV population should be advocated to help eradicate malaria comes 2030. Further study that will characterize the genes of the parasite should be carried out.
COVID-19: Knowledge Base, Attitudes and Practices among Practising Journalist...Premier Publishers
The Coronavirus pandemic is presently the topic of discussion among various segments of global society. From the developed North to the developing South, within economically poor and rich countries, the huge rates of infection and resulting deaths from the pandemic has surpassed anything seen for a long time. Health systems and economies in both developed and developing countries are challenged in ways never imagined. The global efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic are moving at a very fast pace. Public health information is one of the strategies being used to ensure that persons are knowledgeable about the pandemic and adopt practices and protocols that will stem infections within the community. This study was undertaken to gauge the knowledge levels of journalists in the Nigerian capital city of Abuja and the impact of the knowledge on their attitudes and practices. The knowledge, attitudes and practice study model were used to gauge the interrelatedness of these variables among the study group. Logit regression tests, t-tests, chi-square and descriptive analysis were used to determine knowledge levels as well as what factors influenced attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 within the group. Overall, knowledge level amongst the study group was good and had a positive impact on attitude patterns. However, there was no high positive correlation between knowledge and practices. It is suggested that journalists in Nigeria must adhere to public health protocols in order to be able to engage in multi-platform public health information awareness publications which will sensitize the public into observing the COVID containment protocols.
WHO urges greater COVID-19 vigilance in Africa as holidays nearSABC News
With the end of year approaching and many African families planning get-togethers, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to be on high alert for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases.
Countdown to the 2030 Global Goals: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Research T...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
As we approach the deadline for achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is less than a decade away, it is crucial for researchers and research institutions at both national and international levels to conduct rigorous scientific assessments of the progress made towards these goals. The assessment is of utmost importance as it will provide valuable insights and information to political leaders and other stakeholders, guiding their actions and efforts towards successfully attaining the SDGs by the year 2030. This study aimed at providing vivid descriptions of the SDG 2 – zero hunger-related research endeavour. It employed bibliometric analysis and geographical patterns of SDG 2-related publications extracted from Scopus database from 2015 to 2023. A total of 397 documents were extracted where Sustainability journal ranked 1st among the journal outlets of zero hunger-related publications. The publication of zero hunger-related documents grew from 1.5% in 2016 to 29.7% in 2022. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Chinese Academy of Sciences were the top 2 institutions publishing zero hunger-related documents while the lead article was published by Journal of Cleaner Production with 128 citations. The funding sponsors of SDG 2-related publications were dominated by sponsors from developed countries (such as China, Belgium, United States, and United Kingdom) while no funding sponsors from developing countries were among the top 10. The United States and United Kingdom were the two most productive countries while only one African country (South Africa) made the list of top 10 countries publishing zero hunger-related documents. This study provided political leaders and key stakeholders with in-depth understanding of the SDG 2-related research activities and highlighted research funding and collaboration gaps facing the developing nations.
Investigating and Quantifying Food Insecurity in Nigeria: A Systematic Review Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Given the recent increase in the number of Nigerians estimated to be at risk of food insecurity, it is crucial to explore the array of tools used to quantify food insecurity (FI). This exploration will help determine the prevalence and severity of FI in Nigeria. This review explored the scope of FI research carried out in Nigeria to examine how the design was quantified. A systematic review was performed to compile the accessible Nigerian studies. Seventy-nine studies were reviewed. Eighteen used the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale module (HFIAS) to investigate FI status; thirteen used the recommended daily calorie requirement approach; twelve employed the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM); ten used the food insecurity index (through household per capita food expenditure); seven used the Food Insecurity Experienced Scale (FIES); two used the Food Consumption Score (FCS); and the others employed less standardized or thorough approaches. Different prevalence levels and gravities of FI in the Nigerian populations were documented. The prevalence of FI varied from 12% to 100%, based on the instrument and demography being studied. In accordance with the findings of this review, the authors propose standardization of the FI instrument and highlight the need for a measurement tool that would be appropriate for the Nigerian setting. This will enable researchers to attain a comprehensive knowledge of the occurrence rate of FI in Nigeria, leading to improved food-and nutrition-sensitive policy development.
More Related Content
Similar to Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
The Coronavirus Disease – 2019 (COVID-19) is officially now a pandemic and not just a public health emergency of international concern as previously labelled. Worldwide, the new coronavirus has infected more than 4.9 million people and leaving more than 300,000 people dead in 188 countries. As countries of the world get locked down in an effort to contain the widespread of the virus, experts are concern about the global impacts of the pandemic on individuals, countries and the world at large. Millions of people are currently under quarantine across the globe. Many countries have responded by proclaiming a public health emergency, closed their borders and restrict incoming flights from high risk countries. This has grossly affected the travel plan of many. Several international programs, conferences, workshops and sporting activities are either postponed or cancelled. As the number of confirmed cases continues to escalate across the globe, hospitals seems to be running out of medical supplies, hospital spaces and personnel. Health workers are being overwhelmed by the numbers of people requesting for testing and treatment. Many of such health workers have been infected with the coronavirus and even lost their lives since the fight against COVID-19 started. Public health experts are also concerned about the huge medical wastes coming from the hospitals at this time and the adverse effects associated with improper management of such medical wastes, both at the hospital and community levels. The pandemic has also impacted negatively on the global economy. There have been serious crises in the stock market, with gross fall in the price of crude oil resulting in inflation and economic hardship among the populace. Many are currently out of job and as a result, the level of crime, protest and violence have continued to escalate in different parts of the world. The deaths of loved ones due to the coronavirus has left many emotionally traumatized. Nigeria, like other African countries is not spared of the ravaging effects of the pandemic, even as the government take strict measures to contain the virus. No doubt, this is very challenging, but the country is capable of surmounting the virus with the needed help from her international partners and cooperation from the citizenry. But if we as a people, remain complacent and continue with business as usual, without taking measures to flatten the curve, the disease will escalate too quickly beyond our capacity to handle and our health system will be overwhelmed and may collapse eventually. We cannot therefore afford to be complacent in our response to containing the pandemic.
This paper clearly shows the statistical analysis of the geographical coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we have mentioned the total cases in comparison with total deaths as well as recovered cases. From this analysis we measure the ratio between the countries in accordance with their geographical location. So that the clear pictures gives why the virus affected this area, in our point the climate and antibiotic plays a vital role in this pandemic. The geographically affected COVID-19 cases are mentioned in the data table neatly.
Case Study The pandemic has been less deadly than elsewhere, but Af.pdfakpatra2000
Case Study: The pandemic has been less deadly than elsewhere, but African
economies have suffered a double blow due to graft.
Widespread corruption during the pandemic has worsened the devastating effect of
COVID-19 on Africas economy. Since the continents first case was recorded on 14
February 2020 in Egypt, the virus has affected all countries in the region.
By 6 April 2022, Africa had 11.5 million confirmed cases and 252 000 COVID-19 related
deaths. However according to the World Health Organization, the number of infections
could be as much as 97 times greater than reported cases. Exposure to the virus in
Africa rose from 3% in June 2020 to about 65% by September 2021 equivalent to
over 800 million cases, far more than the 8.2 million documented in that period.
The health risks of the pandemic have been less severe than elsewhere in the world,
with Africa recording the highest level of asymptomatic cases, estimated at 67%. This
has been attributed mainly to the continents large youthful population and lower rates
of underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases,
which push up hospitalisations and deaths.
Africa has been fortunate in this regard, especially considering its fragile
health systems. But the pandemic exposed structural weaknesses of the continents
economy to devastating effect. Restrictions on movement and commerce curbed
infections but came at a huge cost to Africas already fragile economies.
According to WHO, the number of infections in Africa could be 97 times greater than
reported cases.
According to the African Development Bank, GDP shrunk by 2.1% in 2020, and the
projected export revenue lost from fuel alone was about USD 101 billion that year. With
declining revenues and rising expenditure, fiscal deficits doubled to a historical high of
8.4% of GDP.
The cost of stimulus packages alone ranged from 0.02% of GDP in South Sudan to
about 10.4% in South Africa. As a result, Africas debt burden increased by 10 to 15
percentage points in 2021. Many countries were allowed to default on their foreign debt
with the rising interest rates to tame inflation in advanced countries.
The estimated productive time lost in 2020 due to COVID-19 was equivalent to
around 112 million jobs. In Nigeria, 20% of households lost their employment as of
June 2021, while in South Africa three million jobs were lost during the lockdown. The
pandemic cost Kenya and Ghana over 700 000 jobs. World Bank surveys reveal that
82% of households in Malawi and 80% in Nigeria reported income losses. Likewise,
76% of households in Uganda and 46% in Ethiopia said their incomes had dropped.
About 30 million additional Africans fell into extreme poverty (living on less than USD
1.90 a day) in 2020, with the number estimated to increase to 39 million in 2021. A total
of 465.3 million people, 34.4% of Africas population, were estimated to be in extreme
poverty in 2021.
Most COVID-19 items were procured under a certificate of emergency.
WHO African Region - Africa marks six months on 14 August since COVID-19 was first detected on the continent. While the virus has raced through many other regions of the world, the pandemic’s evolution on the African continent has been different.
The Role of Connected Diagnostics in Strengthening Regional, National and Con...SystemOne
Although numerous disease intelligence and surveillance systems exist, they are plagued with inaccurate or untimely data. We contend, furthermore, that it was this lack of data quality – and not
the lack of surveillance systems or networks – that prevented the global community from acting earlier in response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014–2016. The new field of ‘connected diagnostics’ is one solution to this concern, as it automates data collection directly from the diagnostic instruments to multiple levels of stakeholders for real-time decision-making and policy response.
This article details how the intervention of ‘connected diagnostics’ could solve the primary underlying failure in existing surveillance systems – the lack of accurate and timely data – to enable
difficult political decisions earlier. The use of connectivity solutions can enable critical health and operational data to empower the Africa CDC, regional hubs, and each country with a consistent
and automated data feed while still maintaining country privacy and controls.
Malaria is still considered globally as a leading cause of morbidity with Nigeria carrying the highest burden of 19%. Coinfection of malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) accelerate disease progression of HIV/AIDS subjects. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of malaria among HIV infected subjects attending the antiretroviral therapy Clinic at Federal the Medical Centre, Keffi, Nigeria. After ethical clearance, 200 whole blood specimens were collected from patients who gave informed consent and completed a self-structured questionnaire. The specimens were examined for malarial parasite using rapid kits and microscopy. The overall prevalence of the infection was 78/200 (39.0%). The prevalence was higher in male (44.7%) than female (34.0%) subjects. Those subjects aged < 20 years (54.5), male gender (44.7%), non-formal education holders (61.5%), farmers (62.5%), stream water users (48.1%), those that lives in rural setting (43.6%), those that do not use Insecticides Treated Nets (ITNs) (39.4%) and swampy environment dwellers (41.7%) were identified predictors for malaria infection in the area. All the predictors studied did not show any statistically significant difference with the infection but some arithmetic difference exists (P > 0.05). The 39.0% prevalence of malaria in HIV infected subjects is a public health concern. Therefore, Public health surveillance and health education among HIV population should be advocated to help eradicate malaria comes 2030. Further study that will characterize the genes of the parasite should be carried out.
COVID-19: Knowledge Base, Attitudes and Practices among Practising Journalist...Premier Publishers
The Coronavirus pandemic is presently the topic of discussion among various segments of global society. From the developed North to the developing South, within economically poor and rich countries, the huge rates of infection and resulting deaths from the pandemic has surpassed anything seen for a long time. Health systems and economies in both developed and developing countries are challenged in ways never imagined. The global efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic are moving at a very fast pace. Public health information is one of the strategies being used to ensure that persons are knowledgeable about the pandemic and adopt practices and protocols that will stem infections within the community. This study was undertaken to gauge the knowledge levels of journalists in the Nigerian capital city of Abuja and the impact of the knowledge on their attitudes and practices. The knowledge, attitudes and practice study model were used to gauge the interrelatedness of these variables among the study group. Logit regression tests, t-tests, chi-square and descriptive analysis were used to determine knowledge levels as well as what factors influenced attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 within the group. Overall, knowledge level amongst the study group was good and had a positive impact on attitude patterns. However, there was no high positive correlation between knowledge and practices. It is suggested that journalists in Nigeria must adhere to public health protocols in order to be able to engage in multi-platform public health information awareness publications which will sensitize the public into observing the COVID containment protocols.
WHO urges greater COVID-19 vigilance in Africa as holidays nearSABC News
With the end of year approaching and many African families planning get-togethers, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to be on high alert for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases.
Countdown to the 2030 Global Goals: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Research T...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
As we approach the deadline for achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is less than a decade away, it is crucial for researchers and research institutions at both national and international levels to conduct rigorous scientific assessments of the progress made towards these goals. The assessment is of utmost importance as it will provide valuable insights and information to political leaders and other stakeholders, guiding their actions and efforts towards successfully attaining the SDGs by the year 2030. This study aimed at providing vivid descriptions of the SDG 2 – zero hunger-related research endeavour. It employed bibliometric analysis and geographical patterns of SDG 2-related publications extracted from Scopus database from 2015 to 2023. A total of 397 documents were extracted where Sustainability journal ranked 1st among the journal outlets of zero hunger-related publications. The publication of zero hunger-related documents grew from 1.5% in 2016 to 29.7% in 2022. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Chinese Academy of Sciences were the top 2 institutions publishing zero hunger-related documents while the lead article was published by Journal of Cleaner Production with 128 citations. The funding sponsors of SDG 2-related publications were dominated by sponsors from developed countries (such as China, Belgium, United States, and United Kingdom) while no funding sponsors from developing countries were among the top 10. The United States and United Kingdom were the two most productive countries while only one African country (South Africa) made the list of top 10 countries publishing zero hunger-related documents. This study provided political leaders and key stakeholders with in-depth understanding of the SDG 2-related research activities and highlighted research funding and collaboration gaps facing the developing nations.
Investigating and Quantifying Food Insecurity in Nigeria: A Systematic Review Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Given the recent increase in the number of Nigerians estimated to be at risk of food insecurity, it is crucial to explore the array of tools used to quantify food insecurity (FI). This exploration will help determine the prevalence and severity of FI in Nigeria. This review explored the scope of FI research carried out in Nigeria to examine how the design was quantified. A systematic review was performed to compile the accessible Nigerian studies. Seventy-nine studies were reviewed. Eighteen used the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale module (HFIAS) to investigate FI status; thirteen used the recommended daily calorie requirement approach; twelve employed the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM); ten used the food insecurity index (through household per capita food expenditure); seven used the Food Insecurity Experienced Scale (FIES); two used the Food Consumption Score (FCS); and the others employed less standardized or thorough approaches. Different prevalence levels and gravities of FI in the Nigerian populations were documented. The prevalence of FI varied from 12% to 100%, based on the instrument and demography being studied. In accordance with the findings of this review, the authors propose standardization of the FI instrument and highlight the need for a measurement tool that would be appropriate for the Nigerian setting. This will enable researchers to attain a comprehensive knowledge of the occurrence rate of FI in Nigeria, leading to improved food-and nutrition-sensitive policy development.
Dietary diversity, nutritional status, and agricultural commercialization: ev...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Access tohealthyandaffordablediethingedontherealizationofSustainableDevelopmentGoal2,higherproductivity and, economic prosperity while it is difficult for a poorly nourished people to achieve optimum production of goods and services. This study assessed whether dietary diversity (DD) and nutritional status of adult men are associated with crop commercialization index (CCI) levels of agricultural households in two states of Southwestern Nigeria. This research utilized 352 farm households, comprising 277 adult malemembers. The individualversionofdietary diversity score (DDS)of9foodgroupswasusedtocalculateadultmen’sDDSovera24-hrecall.Anthropometricdatawas obtained using bodymass index(BMI)whileCCIlevelswas estimatedfor eachagricultural household. Logistic regression and ordered logit models were used to examine the determinants of adult men’s dietary diversity and nutritional status respectively. Hundred percent of adult men consumed starchy staples, with 11.2% consuming egg, 5.8% milk andmilkproducts and 0.4%consumingorganmeatover24-hrecall. Adultmen ofCCI2andCCI4agriculturalhouseholds recorded overweight prevalence of >20% in Ogun state while the association between DDS and CCI was statistically insignificant suggesting that being a member of any of the CCI households may not guarantee the consumption of healthy diets among adult men. From Logit regression analysis, it is more likely for adult men with higher farm size toattaintheminimumDDSof4foodgroupsthanthosewithsmallersizeoffarmland(OR=4.78;95%CI:1.94,11.76; p =0.001). The age, farm experience, and cassava marketing experience were positively related to the likelihood of obtaining the minimum DDS. For adult men to achieve a healthy diet, their diet pattern must incorporate a more diversifiedintakeoffoodfromdifferentfoodgroupscapableofimprovingtheirnutritionalstatus.Thisstudyemphasized the need for relevant stakeholders to provide adequate nutrition knowledge intervention programmes capable of improving the diets and nutrition of adult men and other members of farm households.
Measuring the economic performance of smallholder organic maize farms; Implic...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
The use of chemical inputs in conventional agriculture is associated with some health and environmental issues. This led to a call for more sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture without health issues. However, there is low participation in organic farming in Nigeria, which could be linked to less knowledge about its profitability. The study investigated smallholder organic maize farming profitability in Northern Nigeria. We employed descriptive statistics, profitability analysis, and a multiple regression model to analyse data collected from 480 maize farmers. The results revealed that organic maize farmers had a gross profit of USD 604.81 per hectare, a 0.46 profit ratio, a 0.54 gross ratio, a 0.32 operating ratio, a benefit-cost ratio of 1.85, and a 0.85 return on capital invested. Thus, organic maize farming is a productive and profitable venture. Organic manure, compost manure, farm size, selling price, cooperative membership, extension contact, access to credit, irrigation, education, and major occupation were factors that enhanced organic maize farming’s net profit. However, seed and transportation costs negatively influenced organic maize farming's net profit. Therefore, government and development agencies must intervene to make organic farming more sustainable and profitable by subsidizing seed costs and providing f inancial assistance to farmers.
Dietary diversity, nutritional status, and agricultural commercialization: ev...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Access tohealthyandaffordablediethingedontherealizationofSustainableDevelopmentGoal2,higherproductivity and, economic prosperity while it is difficult for a poorly nourished people to achieve optimum production of goods and services. This study assessed whether dietary diversity (DD) and nutritional status of adult men are associated with crop commercialization index (CCI) levels of agricultural households in two states of Southwestern Nigeria. This research utilized 352 farm households, comprising 277 adult malemembers. The individualversionofdietary diversity score (DDS)of9foodgroupswasusedtocalculateadultmen’sDDSovera24-hrecall.Anthropometricdatawas obtained using bodymass index(BMI)whileCCIlevelswas estimatedfor eachagricultural household. Logistic regression and ordered logit models were used to examine the determinants of adult men’s dietary diversity and nutritional status respectively. Hundred percent of adult men consumed starchy staples, with 11.2% consuming egg, 5.8% milk andmilkproducts and 0.4%consumingorganmeatover24-hrecall. Adultmen ofCCI2andCCI4agriculturalhouseholds recorded overweight prevalence of >20% in Ogun state while the association between DDS and CCI was statistically insignificant suggesting that being a member of any of the CCI households may not guarantee the consumption of healthy diets among adult men. From Logit regression analysis, it is more likely for adult men with higher farm size toattaintheminimumDDSof4foodgroupsthanthosewithsmallersizeoffarmland(OR=4.78;95%CI:1.94,11.76; p =0.001). The age, farm experience, and cassava marketing experience were positively related to the likelihood of obtaining the minimum DDS. For adult men to achieve a healthy diet, their diet pattern must incorporate a more diversifiedintakeoffoodfromdifferentfoodgroupscapableofimprovingtheirnutritionalstatus.Thisstudyemphasized the need for relevant stakeholders to provide adequate nutrition knowledge intervention programmes capable of improving the diets and nutrition of adult men and other members of farm households.
Concerns about food safety issues have put considerable pressure on pesticide producers in Europe and worldwide to reduce the levels of pesticide residues in food. The aim of this work is to assess the use of traditional pesticides and their effects, to present perspectives in this field and to identi-fy regulatory needs for their use and implementation. The work is based on a systematic review in which the research problem was defined, primary sources were selected and critically appraised, data were collected, analysed and evaluated, and conclusions were formulated. The state of the pesticide market and the current legal requirements for risk assessment in relation to exposure to chemical sub-stances were reviewed. Food safety issues are presented through the prism of pesticide residues in food. Their widespread use and considerable persistence have made them ubiquitous in the natural environment and their residues pose a threat to the environment and to human and animal health. It has been shown that the most important factor influencing the search for new tools to control diseas-es and pests of crops is the progressive development of resistance of these populations to currently used pesticides. Various alternatives to the phasing out of synthetic pesticides in the form of natural products are therefore being developed to support the development of the natural products market.
Dietary diversity, nutritional status, and agricultural commercialization: ev...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Access to healthy and affordable diet hinged on the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 2, higher productivity and, economic prosperity while it is difficult for a poorly nourished people to achieve optimum production of goods and services. This study assessed whether dietary diversity (DD) and nutritional status of adult men are associated with crop commercialization index (CCI) levels of agricultural households in two states of Southwestern Nigeria. This research utilized 352 farm households, comprising 277 adult male members. The individual version of dietary diversity score (DDS) of 9 food groups was used to calculate adult men’s DDS over a 24-h recall. Anthropometric data was obtained using body mass index (BMI) while CCI levels was estimated for each agricultural household. Logistic regression and ordered logit models were used to examine the determinants of adult men’s dietary diversity and nutritional status respectively. Hundred percent of adult men consumed starchy staples, with 11.2% consuming egg, 5.8% milk and milk products and 0.4% consuming organ meat over 24-h recall. Adult men of CCI 2 and CCI 4 agricultural households recorded overweight prevalence of >20% in Ogun state while the association between DDS and CCI was statistically insignificant suggesting that being a member of any of the CCI households may not guarantee the consumption of healthy diets among adult men. From Logit regression analysis, it is more likely for adult men with higher farm size to attain the minimum DDS of 4 food groups than those with smaller size of farmland (OR = 4.78; 95% CI: 1.94, 11.76; p = 0.001). The age, farm experience, and cassava marketing experience were positively related to the likelihood of obtaining the minimum DDS. For adult men to achieve a healthy diet, their diet pattern must incorporate a more diversified intake of food from different food groups capable of improving their nutritional status. This study emphasized the need for relevant stakeholders to provide adequate nutrition knowledge intervention programmes capable of improving the diets and nutrition of adult men and other members of farm households.
COVID-19 Pandemic impacted food security and caused psychosocial stress in so...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
The COVID-19 disease has infected many countries, causing generalized impacts on different income categories. We carried out a survey among households (n = 412) representing different income groups in Nigeria. We used validated food insecurity experience and socio-psychologic tools. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The earning capacities of the respondents ranged from 145 USD/month for low-income earners to 1945 USD/month for high-income earners. A total of 173 households (42%) ran out of food during the COVID-19 pandemic. All categories of households experienced increasing dependency on the general public and a perception of increasing insecurity, with the high-income earners experiencing the greatest shift. In addition, increasing levels of anger and irritation were experienced among all categories. Of the socio-demographic variables, only gender, educational level of the household head, work hours per day, and family income based on society class were associated (p < 0.05) with food security and hunger due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although psychological stress was observed to be greater in the low-income earning group, household heads with medium and high family income were more likely to have satisfactory experiences regarding food security and hunger. It is recommended that socio-economic groups should be mapped and support systems should target each group to provide the needed support in terms of health, social, economic, and mental wellness.
Exploring dietary diversity, nutritional status of adolescents amongfarmhouse...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Purpose –This study aims to explore dietary diversity (DD) and nutritional status of adolescents among rural farm households in Southwestern Nigeria. It analyses whether higher commercialization levels of farm households translate to better nutrition. Design/methodology/approach –This study was conducted in Ogun and Oyo States of Southwestern Nigeria, using primary data from352 farm households with a total of 160 adolescent members. The individual version of dietary diversity score (DDS) of nine food groups was used to calculate adolescent DDS over a 24-h recall period. World Health Organization AnthroPlus software was used in analyzing adolescents’ anthropometric data (height-for-age z-score and body mass index-for-age z-score) while household crop commercialization index (CCI) was estimated for each farm household. Separate logit models were used to examine thedriversof adolescents’ DDandmalnutrition. Findings –Thestudyfindings indicated that 100% of the adolescents consumed starchy staples while 0%, 3.1% and 12.5% consumed organ meat, milk/milk products and eggs, respectively. Results revealed that 74.1%and21.2%ofboyswerestuntedandthinwhiletheprevalenceinadolescent girls was 50.7%and9.3%, respectively. Prevalence of stunting was found to be very high (60%–83%) in all the four CCI levels’ households indicating that belonging to highly commercialized households (CCI 3–4) may not necessarily translate to better nutrition of adolescent members. Food expenditure (p < 0.01) and access to piped water (p <0.01) negatively influenced adolescents’ stunting mainly because of lower expenditure on food items and lower percent of household having access to piped water, respectively, while education (p < 0.01) had positive effects on adolescents’ DD. Originality/value –Previous studies have contributed to the body of knowledge concerning the link between agricultural commercialization and nutrition using under-five children of the households. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the influence of CCI on DDSandnutritional status of adolescent members of farm households in Nigeria. This study fills this existing knowledge gap in investigating adolescents’ DD and malnutrition among smallholder farm households.
Assessing agricultural commercialization and rural infrastructure development...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
This study assessed agricultural commercialization and rural infrastructure development of smallholder cassava farmers in rural Southwestern Nigeria. The study was conducted in Nigeria with cross-sectional data collected from 352 smallholder cassava farmers. Crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to compute each farmer’s CCI and categorized into four levels while ordered logit model was employed to analyze the determinants of agricultural commercialization of cassava farmers in the study areas. Availability of some important rural infrastructures were assessed across cassava farmers’ commercialization levels. The results revealed that 13.1 % of cassava farmers did not participate in the sale of cassava roots while 86.9 % of them participated actively in the output market. T he mean and maximum CCI in the study areas was 59.1 and 95.5 respectively. The results also showed that less than 40 % and 20 % of cassava farmers in all commercialization levels had access to electricity and piped water respectively. The ordered logit regression analysis indicated that age, transport cost, cassava marketing experience, and distance to market were among the determinants of agricultural commercialization. Therefore, stakeholders should expedite policy actions capable of promoting rural infrastructure development that will enhance agricultural production, marketing and improve the quality of life of rural farming communities.
Exploring women's preferences for attributes of long-acting reversible contr...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
There is low LARC uptake in Nigeria and not much is documented about Nigerian women‟s preferences for these products and how these preferences affect women‟s choices. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the decision-making behavior of Nigerian women regarding LARCs. Three hypothetical LARCs were presented. Informed by results obtained from the review of relevant literature and focus group discussion held with selected family planning services providers, the identified attributes were effect on weight, cost, LARC effectiveness and effect on bleeding patterns, each at three levels. A D-optimal design was used to construct nine choice sets. An additional choice set was included to conduct the testretest stability test. The choice sets and other socio-demographic questions formed the discrete choice experiment questionnaire. A random sample of 150 eligible women was selected from women who enrolled and attended family planning clinics in public healthcare facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria through a three-stage sampling technique. Mixed logit modelling was used to obtain estimates of the parameters and willingness to pay (WTP) for each attribute was calculated. The test-retest stability result showed that 76.7% of the respondents responded in a consistent and rational manner. The women preferred LARCs that have no effect on their weights compared to LARCs that cause either slight weight loss or gain. Also, they preferred LARCs that offer 1/1000 level of effectiveness in a year. The most preferred attribute level, „women experience infrequent bleeding‟, increases WTP by NGN 13,984.584 (USD 33.68) while the least preferred level, „women experience frequent/prolonged bleeding‟, has a negative mean WTP (-NGN 19,598.378 (-USD 47.20)) indicating dispreference for the level. Furthermore, women derived higher utilities from very cheap LARCs. Evidence-based information on women‟s preferences regarding LARC usage would help policymakers in the deployment of strategies that would ensure that preferred LARCs are procured and made readily available to women.
Nutrition Outcomes of Under-five Children of Smallholder Farm Households: Do ...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
The study investigated the nutritional status of under-five children of farm households. The study utilized primary data from 352 farm households with 140 under-five children. Household crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to estimate cassava farm household crop sale ratio and categorize the households into four commercialization levels while WHO Anthro software was employed to analyze under-five children anthropometric indices such as weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ) and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ). Logit regression model (LRM) was used to examine the drivers of under-five children’s nutritional status of farm households. The study found that 42.9%, 7.9% and 3.6% of the children are stunted, underweight and wasted respectively. The highest stunting level was recorded in zero level households (CCI 1). Although, some higher CCI households (medium-high and very-high level) recorded increased percent of stunted children. This revealed that being a member of low or high-level commercialization households may not guarantee better nutritional status of young children of farm households. The results of LRM indicated that the predictors of children nutritional status were child’s age, farm size, access to electricity, healthcare and commercialization variables. Moreover, weak positive and negative relationships exist between CCI and children’s nutrition outcomes as measured by the z-scores. The study recommended maternal nutrition-sensitive education intervention that can improve nutrition knowledge of mothers and provision of infrastructure that enhance increased farm production and promote healthy living among farm households.
Assessing agricultural commercialization and rural infrastructure development...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Abstract: This study assessed agricultural commercialization and rural infrastructure development of smallholder cassava farmers in rural Southwestern Nigeria. The study was conducted in Nigeria with cross-sectional data collected from 352 smallholder cassava farmers. Crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to compute each farmer’s CCI and categorized into four levels while ordered logit model was employed to analyze the determinants of agricultural commercialization of cassava farmers in the study areas. Availability of some important rural infrastructures were assessed across cassava farmers’ commercialization levels. The results revealed that 13.1 % of cassava farmers did not participate in the sale of cassava roots while 86.9 % of them participated actively in the output market. T he mean and maximum CCI in the study areas was 59.1 and 95.5 respectively. The results also showed that less than 40 % and 20 % of cassava farmers in all commercialization levels had access to electricity and piped water respectively. The ordered logit regression analysis indicated that age, transport cost, cassava marketing experience, and distance to market were among the determinants of agricultural commercialization. Therefore, stakeholders should expedite policy actions capable of promoting rural infrastructure development that will enhance agricultural production, marketing and improve the quality of life of rural farming communities.
How far has Africa gone in achieving zero hunger target? evidence from Nigeria Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
Sustainable Development Goal 2 is hinged on achieving zero hunger, worldwide, by the year 2030. Many developing countries, especially African countries, are faced with extreme hunger often caused or compounded by bad governance, conflicts and climate change. In this paper, we review patterns of Global Hunger Index scores across Africa from 2000 to 2018 noting advances and setbacks in the fight against hunger in relation to the underlying causes of hunger in these nations, using Nigeria, the poverty capital of the world, as a case study. We also review selected policies of the Nigerian government and development partners aimed at reducing hunger in Nigeria and proffer solutions that can help actualise the target of zero hunger by 2030.
Nutrition outcomes of under-five children of smallholder farm households: do ...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
The study investigated the nutritional status of under-five children of farm households. The study utilized primary data from 352 farm households with 140 under-five children. Household crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to estimate cassava farm household crop sale ratio and categorize the households into four commercialization levels while WHO Anthro software was employed to analyze under-five children anthropometric indices such as weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ) and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ). Logit regression model (LRM) was used to examine the drivers of under-five children’s nutritional status of farm households. The study found that 42.9%, 7.9% and 3.6% of the children are stunted, underweight and wasted respectively. The highest stunting level was recorded in zero level households (CCI 1). Although, some higher CCI households (medium-high and very-high level) recorded increased percent of stunted children. This revealed that being a member of low or high-level commercialization households may not guarantee better nutritional status of young children of farm households. The results of LRM indicated that the predictors of children nutritional status were child’s age, farm size, access to electricity, healthcare and commercialization variables. Moreover, weak positive and negative relationships exist between CCI and children’s nutrition outcomes as measured by the z-scores. The study recommended maternal nutrition-sensitive education intervention that can improve nutrition knowledge of mothers and provision of infrastructure that enhance increased farm production and promote healthy living among farm households.
Dietary Diversity Choices of Women: Evidence from Cassava Farming Households ...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
In this study, we examined dietary diversity of women in cassava farming households of South-
West, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to collect data on 352 farming households comprising 212 women members (158 women of child-bearing age (20-49 years) and 54 women
above 49 years) between December 2019 and March 2020 in Oyo and Ogun States of South-
West, Nigeria. The Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) questionnaire was adapted and used to obtain the dietary diversity scores (DDS) of women of child bearing age over a 24-hour recall period. The individual version of the Household dietary diversity questionnaire was adapted and used to obtain the DDS of women above 49 years. Separate logistic regression models were
fitted to determine the influence of selected variables on the dietary diversity of the two categories of women. Our results show that more than half of the women (55.1%) in the child-bearing
category (20-49 years) did not attain the minimum score of 5 out of 10 food groups. In the older
women category (> 49 years), more than half of the women (68.5%) met the required 4 or more food groups. In the child-bearing age category, the odds of attaining the minimum dietary diversity
level were 0.04% smaller with an additional increase in transport cost. Also, women who had
female household heads were approximately three times more likely to attain the minimum dietary diversity level than women who did not have female household heads. In the older women category, the odds of attaining the minimum dietary diversity level were 98.9% smaller for women
with good road condition than for women with poor road condition. These results are useful for
evidence-based decision making that can have positive impact on the lives of women in cassava
farming households.
Assessing the determinants of agricultural commercialization and challenges c...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
This study assesses the agricultural commercialization levels, determinants, and challenges confronting smallholder cassava farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. This study was conducted in Oyo State, Nigeria using cross-sectional data from 211 smallholder cassava farmers and employing multi-stage sampling procedures. Descriptive statistics, Crop Commercialization Index (CCI), and Ordered Logit Model (OLM) were used to analyze the data collected. The results revealed that 83.9% of the cassava farmers participated in the commercialization of their cassava roots while the remaining farmers were non-participants. The greatest challenge faced by the cassava farmers in the study area was the incessant attacks by the Fulani herdsmen (destroying growing cassava on the farm) while other challenges included cassava cyclical gluts and poor access road. Moreover, OLM revealed that age, farm size, cassava marketing experience and distance to market had significant influence on commercialization levels of cassava farmers. However, in order to enhance increased commercialization levels of cassava farmers and peaceful coexistence in the study area, policies and intervention programmes that will facilitate rural infrastructure development and proffer lasting solution to the farmers-herders crisis should be given upmost priority.
Biological properties and polyphenols content of Algerian Cistus salviifolius...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
This study evaluated the in vitro antioxidant properties, antibacterial and antifungal activities and in vivo anti-inflammatory properties, and identifying the phenolic compounds in Cistus salviifolius. The methanolic leaf extract showed the highest antioxidant activity with 6.1±1.60 μg/ml IC50 value using DPPH and 55.5±0.20 μg/ml using Reducing Power Activity. The study revealed that the butanolic leaf extract and
the aqueous leaf infusion exhibited the strongest growth-inhibiting effect against all Gram positive and Gram negative strains tested, respectively, whereas the methanolic leaf extract showed the strongest antifungal activity against the yeast tested. The MIC value for the butanolic leaf extract was 4 mg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. The pharmacotoxicological tests proved the safety of the aqueous leaf infusion, which exhibit a moderate anti-inflammatory effect, with a significant inhibition of the oedema development equal to 44.7% compared to 59.3% for the reference product diclofenac
sodium. Methanolic extracts of the leaf and flower buds showed varied contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins; which were 228.411.4 mg GAE/g, 34.20.6 mg QE/g, and 36.92.6 mg TAE/g of
the dry weight for leaves; and 241.15.4 mg GAE/g, 47.64.5 mg QE/g, and 22.01.3 mg TAE/g of the dry weight for flower buds, respectively. Analysis of the ethereal and butanolic leaf extracts using Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method coupled with a Photodiode-Array Detector identified thirteen phenolic compounds, including ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, and orientin.
Plant-derived stimulants and psychoactive substances – social and economic as...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
An analysis of the drug market was carried out, in the context of changing patterns of drug use, cultural and social factors as well as economic and links with wider crime. The drug markets remain one of the most profitable areas of economic activity of organized criminal groups. The impact of the drug market on society is enormous and goes beyond the immediate effects of their use. It involves participation in other types of criminal activity and terrorism, impact on legally operating companies and the economy, the burden on public institutions and corruption, as well as the impact on the whole society and its health. Globalization and technological development has accelerated the pace of changes taking place on the drug market. Geographically, this type of activity focuses on several existing for a long time, but also on new markets. Changes in this area pose a challenge for entities undertaking actions in response to problems related to the functioning of the drug markets, including those indirectly resulting from them. A detailed analysis of the conditions for growing the most common types of stimulants has also been made and the key information on this subject is presented in the following work.
How far has Africa gone in achieving sustainable development goals? Exploring...Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin
The dataset describes the status of African countries on the
attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Datasets on SDG Index (SDGI) scores and other selected variables were
compiled from relevant secondary sources. Graphical illustrations
were used to describe the type of association existing between the
SDGI scores and each of the selected variables to corroborate. Further rigorous statistical analysis can be carried out using these data, in conjunction with other datasets to establish scientifically proven cause and effect relationships among the variables.
Richard's aventures in two entangled wonderlandsRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
hematic appreciation test is a psychological assessment tool used to measure an individual's appreciation and understanding of specific themes or topics. This test helps to evaluate an individual's ability to connect different ideas and concepts within a given theme, as well as their overall comprehension and interpretation skills. The results of the test can provide valuable insights into an individual's cognitive abilities, creativity, and critical thinking skills
BREEDING METHODS FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE.pptxRASHMI M G
Plant breeding for disease resistance is a strategy to reduce crop losses caused by disease. Plants have an innate immune system that allows them to recognize pathogens and provide resistance. However, breeding for long-lasting resistance often involves combining multiple resistance genes
The ability to recreate computational results with minimal effort and actionable metrics provides a solid foundation for scientific research and software development. When people can replicate an analysis at the touch of a button using open-source software, open data, and methods to assess and compare proposals, it significantly eases verification of results, engagement with a diverse range of contributors, and progress. However, we have yet to fully achieve this; there are still many sociotechnical frictions.
Inspired by David Donoho's vision, this talk aims to revisit the three crucial pillars of frictionless reproducibility (data sharing, code sharing, and competitive challenges) with the perspective of deep software variability.
Our observation is that multiple layers — hardware, operating systems, third-party libraries, software versions, input data, compile-time options, and parameters — are subject to variability that exacerbates frictions but is also essential for achieving robust, generalizable results and fostering innovation. I will first review the literature, providing evidence of how the complex variability interactions across these layers affect qualitative and quantitative software properties, thereby complicating the reproduction and replication of scientific studies in various fields.
I will then present some software engineering and AI techniques that can support the strategic exploration of variability spaces. These include the use of abstractions and models (e.g., feature models), sampling strategies (e.g., uniform, random), cost-effective measurements (e.g., incremental build of software configurations), and dimensionality reduction methods (e.g., transfer learning, feature selection, software debloating).
I will finally argue that deep variability is both the problem and solution of frictionless reproducibility, calling the software science community to develop new methods and tools to manage variability and foster reproducibility in software systems.
Exposé invité Journées Nationales du GDR GPL 2024
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
ANAMOLOUS SECONDARY GROWTH IN DICOT ROOTS.pptxRASHMI M G
Abnormal or anomalous secondary growth in plants. It defines secondary growth as an increase in plant girth due to vascular cambium or cork cambium. Anomalous secondary growth does not follow the normal pattern of a single vascular cambium producing xylem internally and phloem externally.
Nucleophilic Addition of carbonyl compounds.pptxSSR02
Nucleophilic addition is the most important reaction of carbonyls. Not just aldehydes and ketones, but also carboxylic acid derivatives in general.
Carbonyls undergo addition reactions with a large range of nucleophiles.
Comparing the relative basicity of the nucleophile and the product is extremely helpful in determining how reversible the addition reaction is. Reactions with Grignards and hydrides are irreversible. Reactions with weak bases like halides and carboxylates generally don’t happen.
Electronic effects (inductive effects, electron donation) have a large impact on reactivity.
Large groups adjacent to the carbonyl will slow the rate of reaction.
Neutral nucleophiles can also add to carbonyls, although their additions are generally slower and more reversible. Acid catalysis is sometimes employed to increase the rate of addition.
Comparing Evolved Extractive Text Summary Scores of Bidirectional Encoder Rep...University of Maribor
Slides from:
11th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), Niš, 3-6 June 2024
Track: Artificial Intelligence
https://www.etran.rs/2024/en/home-english/
What is greenhouse gasses and how many gasses are there to affect the Earth.moosaasad1975
What are greenhouse gasses how they affect the earth and its environment what is the future of the environment and earth how the weather and the climate effects.
This presentation explores a brief idea about the structural and functional attributes of nucleotides, the structure and function of genetic materials along with the impact of UV rays and pH upon them.
2. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
2 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
List of abbreviations
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019
HIV Human immunodeficiency virus
NCDC Nigeria Center for Disease Control
SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
WHO World Health Organization
15.1 Introduction
The global emergence of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in December
2019 became a major turning point in global health. The disease was first re-
ported from the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The Chinese govern-
ment officially reported the first confirmed and diagnosed case to the World
Health Organization (WHO) on December 8, 2019 [1]. On March 11, 2020,
WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic [2,3]. As of July 21, 2020,
14,562,550 confirmed cases and 607,781 deaths have been reported globally
[4]. Table 15.1 shows the current situation report per region across the world,
and to date, the Americas have the highest number of cases and fatalities
(7,702,075; 311,569) while the Western Pacific region remains the continent
with the lowest confirmed cases (266,190) and deaths (8077) based on reported
and confirmed cases [4].
While the number of cases, management, and control protocols were simi-
lar globally, the application thereof differed significantly across countries and
regions. For instance, for over 3 months, one-third of countries globally was
under COVID-19 lockdown. During such lockdowns, staying at home was en
TABLE 15.1 Situation report in numbers (WHO region) as of July 21, 2020.
Region Cases (n) Deaths (n)
Globally 14,562,550 607,781
Africa 611,185 9,898
Americas 7,702,075 311,569
Eastern Mediterranean 1,400,544 35,145
Europe 3,103,674 207,958
South-East Asia 1,478,141 35,121
Western Pacific 266,190 8,077
Based on WHO. WHO coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation reports 183. Retrieved from: https://ww
w.who.int/docs/default-source/wha-70-and-phe/20200721-covid-19-sitrep-183.pdf?sfvrsn=b3869b3_2.
[Accessed 23 July 2020].
3. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
Chapter | 15 3
forced with permission to go out only for extremely important reasons (food,
medical items, and other essential commodities). It is expected that COVID-19
resulted in a drop in household consumption, purchasing power, and a shift in
lifestyle and spending habits [5,6].
As of May 4, 2020, South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria had 6783, 6465, and
2558 confirmed cases, respectively [7]. Surprisingly, South Africa is now grap-
pling with 373,628 cases and 5173 deaths, Egypt with 88,402 cases and 4352
deaths, while Nigeria has 37,225 cases with 801 deaths [8]. Many African
countries that were not having any reported cases of COVID-19 before now
have confirmed cases while some are experiencing a huge rise in the num-
ber of confirmed cases due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2). To date (as of July 21, 2020), according to the current situa-
tion report, African COVID-19 cases and deaths stand at 736,288 and 15,418,
respectively [8]. The top five countries in terms of number of confirmed cases
are South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, and Algeria.
Most African countries are inadequately prepared to combat this virus. Poor
health infrastructures lead to poor disease surveillance and response systems,
and the health facilities are often ill-equipped for efficient management of cases
[9–11]. Hence, the inability to carry out rapid tests on probable and suspected
COVID-19 infected persons leads to low number of cases reported from Africa
in the early weeks of the spread of the virus on the continent in comparison to
details from other parts of the world. In recent times, most African countries
have shored-up capacity for testing and management of cases in view of enor-
mous internal and externally generated relief funds from relevant stakeholders,
international, nongovernmental, and corporate organizations; hence, recent epi-
demiological events have shown significant increase in numbers of COVID-19
cases originating from Africa (Table 15.2).
15.2 COVID-19 in Southern African region
The first COVID-19 confirmed case in South Africa was reported on March
5, 2020 in a male returnee from Italy, while the first record of death was on
March 27, 2020 [12]. Ten days after the reported case, the number of confirmed
COVID-19 cases rose to 61, and by March 23, South Africa alone had about
402 confirmed cases [12]. The Southern African regions have continued to ex-
perience hike in the number of confirmed cases, and currently as of July 21,
2020, the total number of confirmed cases in the region has risen to 388,019
with 5465 deaths and 199,872 recoveries (Table 15.3). South Africa remained
the country with the highest number of confirmed cases both in the continent
and in the Southern African countries with 373,628 cases, 5173 deaths, and
194,865 recoveries [8].
Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
4. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
4 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
TABLE 15.2 African regions with reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19
cases, recoveries, and deaths. Data as of 9 a.m. EAT, July 21, 2020.
African region Number of cases Number of recoveries Number of deaths
Central Africa 43,466 26,579 3,859
Eastern Africa 57,031 30,814 1,403
Northern Africa 138,332 65,279 5,960
Southern Africa 388,019 199,872 5,465
Western Africa 109,440 69,354 1,731
Total 736,288 391,898 15,418
Based on Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak brief #27: coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; 2020. CDC. https://africacdc.org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pan
demic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21 July 2020].
TABLE 15.3 Reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Southern Africa Re-
gion as of July 21, 2020.
S/N Country
Number of
confirmed cases
Number of
recoveries
Number of
deaths
1. Angola 749 29 221
2. Botswana 522 48 01
3. Eswatini/Swaziland 1,826 850 23
4. Lesotho 359 69 6
5. Malawi 3,045 1,180 64
6. Mozambique 1,507 505 11
7. Namibia 1,344 42 4
8. South Africa 373,628 194,865 5,173
9. Zambia 3,326 1,620 128
10. Zimbabwe 1,713 472 26
Total 388,019 199,872 5,465
Based on Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak brief #27: coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; 2020. CDC. https://africacdc.org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pan
demic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21 July 2020].
5. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
Chapter | 15 5
15.3 COVID-19 in Central African region
The current statistics show that central African region had recorded a total of
43,466 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 3859 deaths which are still envis-
aged for more increase. This region has been reported to have the least num-
ber of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the continent with Burundi as the least
affected country with 328 confirmed cases, 237 recoveries, and 1 death (Table
15.4). However, cases in Cameroon have continued to increase with more than
16000 cases followed by DR Congo (8443) and Gabon (6433) [8].
15.4 COVID-19 in Eastern Africa region
The East African region has remained the second region in the continent with
the less number of confirmed cases and least number of deaths (1403) com-
pared to other regions. There were no records of deaths due to COVID-19
in countries like Uganda, Seychelles, and Eritrea. However, countries like
Ethiopia, Kenya, and Madagascar have reported high number of confirmed
cases in the region (Table 15.5).
TABLE 15.4 Reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Central Africa Re-
gion as of July 12, 2020.
S/N Country
Number of
confirmed cases
Number of
recoveries
Number of
deaths
1. Burundi 328 237 1
2. Cameroon 16,157 13,728 373
3. Central African
Republic
4,548 1,400 55
4. Chad 889 801 75
5. Congo 2,851 666 50
6. DR Congo 8,443 4,335 194
7. Equatorial Guinea 3,071 842 51
8. Gabon 6,433 4,034 46
9. Sao Tome and
Principe
746 536 14
Total 43,466 26,579 3,859
Based on Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak brief #27: coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; 2020. CDC. https://africacdc.org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pan
demic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21 July 2020].
Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
6. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
6 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
TABLE 15.5 Reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Eastern Africa Re-
gion as of July 21, 2020.
S/N Country
Number of
confirmed cases
Number of
recoveries
Number of
deaths
1. Comoros 334 313 7
2. Djibouti 5,020 4,868 56
3. Eritrea 251 155 0
4. Ethiopia 10,511 5,290 173
5. Kenya 13,771 5,616 238
6. Madagascar 7,153 3,788 62
7. Mauritius 343 332 10
8. Rwanda 1,629 838 5
9. Seychelles 108 11 0
10. Somalia 3,130 1,462 93
11. South Sudan 2,211 1,185 45
12. Sudan 10,992 5,707 693
13. Tanzania 509 178 21
14. Uganda 1,069 1,071 0
Total 57,031 30,814 1,403
Based on Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak brief #27: coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; 2020. CDC. https://africacdc.org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pan
demic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21 July 2020].
15.5 COVID-19 in Northern Africa region
The North African region of the continent is not an exception in the reported in-
creasing trends in the COVID-19 infection in Africa. According to Africa CDC
[8], a total of 138,332 cases have been confirmed in North African countries
as of July 21, 2020. Egypt is on the lead in this region with 88,402 confirmed
cases followed by Morocco (17,562) and Algeria (23,084) (Table 15.6).
7. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
Chapter | 15 7
TABLE 15.6 Reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Northern Africa Re-
gion as of July 12, 2020.
S/N Country
Number of confirmed
cases
Number of
recoveries
Number of
deaths
1. Algeria 23,084 16,051 1,078
2. Egypt 88,402 28,924 4,352
3. Libya 1,980 441 49
4. Mauritania 5,923 3,632 155
5. Morocco 17,562 15,132 276
6. Tunisia 1,381 1,099 50
Total 138,332 65,279 5,960
Based on Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak brief #27: coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; 2020. CDC. https://africacdc.org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pan
demic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21 July 2020].
15.6 COVID-19 in Western Africa region
In the West African region, the spread of COVID-19 was rapid after the confir-
mation in countries like Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. Moreover, Senegal
confirmed her first three cases of community transmission on March 12, 2020
[13,14]. Currently, a total of 109,440 cases were based on Africa CDC [8] up-
date at July 21, 2020 with a total of 69,354 recoveries and 1731 deaths (Table
15.7). From the report, Nigeria (37,225) had the highest number of confirmed
cases in West African region followed by Ghana (28,430) and Côte d’Ivoire
(14,312) while Gambia (112) had the least confirmed cases of COVID-19.
15.7 Country-specific example: COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
In Nigeria, COVID-19 was first reported on February 27, 2020 in a 44-year
old Italian diagnosed of the virus in Lagos State. As of this day (February 27,
2020), a total of 85,403 confirmed cases was reported in 49 countries globally
(95.5% of the cases in China) with 2924 deaths while only three African coun-
tries (Egypt, Algeria, and Nigeria) have been affected [15]. According to the
Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the number of confirmed cases
of COVID-19 rose gradually and consistently to 37,801 with 805 fatalities and
15,677 recoveries by July 21, 2020 (Fig. 15.1). Table 15.8 shows the number
of cases, recoveries, fatalities, and total number of active cases in the country
Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
8. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
8 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
TABLE 15.7 Reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Western Africa Re-
gion as of July 21, 2020.
S/N Country
Number of
confirmed cases
Number of
recoveries
Number of
deaths
1. Benin 1,602 782 31
2. Burkina Faso 1,065 913 53
3. Cape Verde 2,071 1,063 21
4. Côte d'Ivoire 14,312 8,659 92
5. Gambia 112 57 4
6. Ghana 28,430 24,901 153
7. Guinea 6,544 5,511 39
8. Guinea-
Bissau
1,950 906 26
9. Mali 2,475 1,851 121
10. Niger 1,105 1,014 69
11. Nigeria 37,225 15,333 801
12. Senegal 8,948 6,002 170
13. Sierra Leone 1,711 1,261 66
14. Togo 783 554 15
Total 109,440 69,354 1,731
Based on Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak brief #27: coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; 2020. CDC. https://africacdc.org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pan
demic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21 July 2020].
for May 15 and July 21, 2020, respectively. Lagos State remained the epicenter
of this disease in Nigeria with the highest number of cases, recoveries, deaths,
and total active cases [16,17].
Fig. 15.1 reveals the unprecedented rise in the number of COVID-19 cases
in each state in Nigeria. Lagos State recorded 2278 cases on May 15, 2020 but
had 13,626 as of July 21, 2020 [16,17]. However, in all the 36 states and the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sokoto and Kogi states were the only states
with zero active case as of July 21, 2020 [16]. The number of cases rose, na-
tionally from 5445 to 37,801 cases within 10 weeks. The number of deaths
has also increased from 171 to 805 while the number of those that recovered
increased from 1320 to 15,677 within the same period [16,17]. It should be
9. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
Chapter | 15 9
Based on Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19 situation report; February 29,
Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
10. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
10 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20o
f%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 15 June 2020]; NCDC. COVID-19
situation report; July 21, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&nam
e=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 23 July 2020];
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19 situation report; May 15, 2020. Retrieved
from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-1
9%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 17 June 2020].
understood that the epidemiology of COVID-19 remains dynamic in Nigeria,
hence there is a need for regular updates as events unfold.
With consideration to sex distribution, the total number of cases in Nigeria
from April 20 to July 21, 2020 is displayed in Fig. 15.2. Specifically, as of
April 20, 2020, 463 (70%) males and 202 (30%) females were infected, while
as of July 21, 2020, a significant increase in total cumulative cases had occurred
totaling 24,379 (64%) for males and 13,422 (36%) for females (Figs. 15.1 and
15.2). The COVID-19 fatality rate in Nigeria was 3% as of April 20, but has
dropped to 2.1% on July 21, 2020 [16,17].
15.8 Why is Nigeria and other African countries experiencing
continuous spike in COVID-19 cases?
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with approximately 200 million
people, but over 95 million people live in extreme poverty as of April 14, 2020
[18]. The current spike in cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria comes with a different
“outlook.” It is a situation of “a crisis within a crisis” because Nigeria currently
battles with the challenges of highest population of poor people in the world,
poor infrastructure, poor service delivery in terms of health and nutrition, and
a host of other challenges [18–23]. The majority of people in Nigeria live on
daily income with meager or no savings. The pandemic and the attendant lock-
down measures in the states of the federation have disrupted the livelihoods of
most citizens, and although no specific empirical data exist yet, anecdotal ev-
idence suggests an increase in the number of poor and hungry people in the
country [23]. In this situation, breadwinners in the family and heads of house-
holds are under intense pressure to break the lockdown rule and go out to look
for means of livelihoods. This situation intensifies COVID-19 transmission dy-
namics with implications on the increased number of cases.
To date, a significant percentage of Nigerian population and Africans too
has not believed that COVID-19 exists because they are yet to see infected
and hospitalized persons. The erroneous campaign that people may drop dead
in the streets has also not happened and further emboldened doubters on the
nonexistence of the virus and fueled theory that it was just a political gimmick.
FIGURE 15.1 Number of cases of COVID-19 in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
in Nigeria.
11. UNCORRECTED
PROOF
TABLE 15.8 Nigeria COVID-19 Situation report of States with reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, recoveries, deaths, and active cases
from May 15 to July 21, 2020.
State Confirmed cases Recoveries Deaths Total active cases
15 May 21 July 15 May 21 July 15 May 21 July 15 May 21 July
Lagos 2,278 13,626 541 1,993 36 177 1,701 11,456
FCT 386 3,211 88 943 7 39 291 2,229
Oyo 76 2,219 28 1,120 2 20 46 1,079
Edo 93 2,017 27 1300 5 68 61 649
Rivers 33 1,546 10 1,039 3 49 20 458
Delta 25 1,437 9 634 4 39 12 764
Kano 761 1,430 90 1,125 33 53 638 252
Kaduna 134 1,211 53 931 3 12 78 268
Ogun 145 1,184 59 900 5 23 81 261
Ondo 19 964 11 143 1 22 7 799
Plateau 21 762 4 349 0 18 17 395
Katsina 239 713 29 441 12 23 198 249
Enugu 12 705 2 371 0 17 10 317
Ebonyi 9 699 1 572 0 18 8 109
Based on NCDC. COVID-19 situation report; July 21, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria.
[Accessed 23 July 2020].
13. UNCORRECTED
PROOF
State Confirmed cases Recoveries Deaths Total active cases
15 May 21 July 15 May 21 July 15 May 21 July 15 May 21 July
Kebbi 31 90 11 74 4 7 16 9
Ekiti 19 86 13 47 1 2 5 37
Zamfara 73 77 29 71 5 5 39 1
Yobe 32 64 3 53 1 8 28 3
Taraba 17 54 1 11 0 0 16 43
Cross River 0 29 0 3 0 1 0 25
Kogi 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 0
Total 5,445 37,801 1,320 15,677 171 805 3,954 21,319
Note: States including FCT are arranged in descending order by the number of total confirmed cases.
14. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
14 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
FIGURE 15.2 Sex distribution of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria (April 20–July 21,
2020). Authors' graph using data from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19
situation report; February 29, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=1
4&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 15 June
2020]; NCDC. COVID-19 situation report; July 21, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/dis
eases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeri
a. [Accessed 23 July 2020]; Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19 situation
report; May 15, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%2
0update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 17 June 2020].
The situation of perceived increased extreme hunger and abject poverty men-
tioned above made many Nigerians to avoid compliance with the WHO and
NCDC guidelines [19–21]. These guidelines have previously given prescrip-
tions on the observation of personal and respiratory hygiene including but
not limited to social (physical) distance, regular washing of hands with run-
ning water, or using alcohol-based (over 65% alcohol) hand sanitizer, avoiding
crowded spaces and the use of face masks.
Realistically, and using the scale of livelihoods versus public health, while
people still believe in health and personal safety, many Nigerians perceived
hunger as a much dire issue that needs immediate attention in comparison with
the COVID-19 pandemic [23]. Hence, we have observed the loss of personal
sense of responsibility with regards to taking cognizance of the health guide-
lines. In addition, the enforcement of the guidelines by law enforcement agents
15. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
Chapter | 15 15
has largely been ineffective including the ban on interstate movements. Un-
scrupulous persons have been alleged to bribe the officers to conduct unper-
mitted interstate travels with implications on community spread of the virus in
the country. Furthermore, we believed that the increase in testing capacity must
have contributed to the observed spike in cases of COVID-19 tests in the coun-
try (Fig. 15.3). The cumulative number of samples tested has increased from
8587 on May 15, 2020 to 134,257 on June 29, 2020, in just a space of 44 days.
Similar trend has been observed for the various regions in Africa (Fig. 15.4).
Similarly, based on WHO observatory health data, most countries in West
Africa and other regions of the continent are characterized with less than five
hospital beds per 10,000 of the population and less than two medical doctors
per 10,000 of the population with majority of the countries having less than
$50 per capita expenditure on health [24]. These factors may have contributed
to the spike in the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Africa. More so, risk fac-
tors such as hypertension and other disease conditions including malaria and
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections may be contributing factors
FIGURE 15.3 Increasing number of COVID-19 cases and sample tested in Nigeria (April
20–July 21, 2020). Authors' graph using data from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
COVID-19 situation report; February 29, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/
sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria.
[Accessed 15 June 2020]; NCDC. COVID-19 situation report; July 21, 2020. Retrieved from: http
s://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbrea
k%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 23 July 2020]; Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
COVID-19 situation report; May 15, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?c
at=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 17
June 2020].
Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
16. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
16 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
FIGURE 15.4 Regional spike in COVID-19 in Africa [8].
[25]. The continent's inadequate health facilities, prevalence of malnutrition,
malaria, tuberculosis, poor economy, and large number of immunocompro-
mised individuals could contribute to challenges in controlling the spread of
COVID-19 in Africa [26].
15.9 Future perspectives
The proper control of COVID-19 in Africa lies in effective early identifica-
tion with swift contact tracing and physical isolation, health system measures,
and community engagement [14]. There should be efforts to limit morbidity
and death from COVID-19 by ensuring that access to healthcare equipment and
supplies are sustained in health facilities. There should be adequate ventila-
tors, oxygen, intensive care units, and medications as well as emergency units
and employment of health personnels. Sustaining the economy through social
welfare/investment schemes and poverty eradication programs as well as wide-
spread and systematic surveillance, diagnosis, and testing could contribute to
the control of widespread COVID-19 pandemic in the continent.
15.10 Conclusion
The rising number of confirmed cases in Africa is a source of worry to the
public health authorities because the continent's situation of the virus outbreak
is that of “concatenated crisis” due to crisis of hunger, poor medical facili-
ties, lack of test kits, challenging governance, and reduced revenues amidst
COVID-19 pandemic. With the continued effort of the health sector in curtail-
ing the virus spread and the political will of the African government in provid-
ing succor to the citizens in this critical period of the pandemic, it is hoped that
the disease will be eradicated and controlled. We recommend continued adher
17. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
Chapter | 15 17
ence to personal and respiratory hygiene protocols based on the WHO guide-
lines to keep safe in this COVID-19 pandemic period in the continent.
References
[1] R. Verity, L.C. Okell, L. Dorigatti, P. Winskill, C. Whittaker, N. Imai, et al.
Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis.
Lancet Infect Dis 2020;20:669–677. doi:10.1016/S14733099(20)30243-7.
[2] World Health Organization (WHO). WHO director-general’s opening remarks
at the media briefing on COVID-19. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health
Organization; March 11, 2020.
[3] D. Cucinotta, M. Vanelli WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic. Acta Biomed
2020;91(1):157–160. doi:10.23750/abm.v91i1.9397.
[4] WHO coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation reports 183. Retrieved from: ht
tps://www.who.int/docs/default-source/wha-70-and-phe/20200721-covid-19-sitre
p-183.pdf?sfvrsn=b3869b3_2. [Accessed 23 July 2020].
[5] Criteo Coronavirus Survey. Coronavirus consumer trends: consumer electronics,
pet supplies, and more. 2020. Resource document www.criteo.com/insights/coron
avirus-consumer-trends/. [Accessed 26 May 2020].
[6] S. Jribi, H.B. Ismail, D. Doggui, H. Debbabi COVID-19 virus outbreak lockdown:
what impacts on household food wastage? Environ Dev Sustain
2020;22:3939–3955. doi:10.1007/s10668-020-00740-y.
[7] Africa Centre for Disease Control. Africa CDC COVID-19 dashboard. 2020.
Retrieved from: https://africacdc.org/covid-19/. [Accessed 5 May 2020].
[8] Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Outbreak brief #27:
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. CDC; 2020. https://africacdc.
org/download/outbreak-brief-27-covid-19-pandemic-21-july-2020/. [Accessed 21
July 2020].
[9] O.A. Adegboye, A.I. Adekunle, E. Gayawan Early transmission dynamics of
novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria. Int J Environ Res Publ Health
2020;17(3054):1–10. doi:10.3390/ijerph17093054.
[10] M. Gilbert, G. Pullano, F. Pinotti, E. Valdano, C. Poletto, P.Y. Boelle, et al.
Preparedness and vulnerability of African countries against importations of
COVID-19: a modelling study. Lancet 2020;395(10227):871–877. doi:10.1016/
S0140-6736(20)30411-6.
[11] O.A. Otekunrin, O.A. Otekunrin, F.O. Fasina, A.O. Omotayo, M. Akram
Assessing the zero hunger target readiness in Africa in the face of COVID-19
pandemic. Caraka Tani J Sustain Agric 2020;35(2):213–227. doi:10.20961/
carakatani.v35i2.41503.
[12] A. Ebrahim COVID-19 and socioeconomic aspect in Africa. 2020. doi:10.35188/
UNU-WIDER/WBN/2020-2. Wider background note. [Accessed 15 June 2020].
[13] R.A. Kock, W.B. Karesh, F. Veas 2019-nCoV in context: lessons learned? Lancet
Planet Health 2020;20(234):2354–2359.
[14] A.A. Tunde COVID-19 pandemic in West Africa-review. Int J Zool Appl Biosci
2020;5(3):149–150.
[15] Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19 situation report. February
29, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=A
n%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 15
June 2020].
[16] NCDC. COVID-19 situation report. July 21, 2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.
Coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa: why the recent spike in cases?
18. U
N
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
E
D
P
R
O
O
F
18 Coronavirus Drug Discovery
gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20
outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 23 July 2020].
[17] Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19 situation report. May 15,
2020. Retrieved from: https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%2
0update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria. [Accessed 17 June
2020].
[18] World data lab; 2018. https://worldpoverty.io/index.html. [Accessed 19 May
2018].
[19] O.A. Otekunrin, O.A. Otekunrin, S. Momoh, I.A. Ayinde How far has Africa gone
in achieving the zero hunger target? Evidence from Nigeria. Global Food Secur
2019;22:1–12. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2019.08.001.
[20] O.A. Otekunrin, O.A. Otekunrin, S. Momoh, I.A. Ayinde Assessing the zero
hunger target readiness in Africa: global hunger index (GHI) patterns and
indicators. Proceedings of the 33rd annual national conference of the farm
management association of Nigeria (FAMAN), 7th–10th October, 2019; 2019. p.
456–464.
[21] O.A. Otekunrin, S. Momoh, I.A. Ayinde, O.A. Otekunrin How far has Africa gone
in achieving the sustainable development goals? Exploring the African dataset.
Data Brief 2019;27(104647):1–7. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2019.104647.
[22] World data lab; 2020. https://worldpoverty.io/index.html. [Accessed 14 April
2020].
[23] B. Kalu COVID-19 in Nigeria: a disease of hunger. Lancet Respir Med
2020;8(6):556–557. doi:10.1016/S22132600(20)30220-4.
[24] N. Haider, A. Yavlinsky, D. Simons, A.Y. Osman, F. Ntoumi, A. Zumla, et al.
Passengers’ destinations from China: low risk of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
transmission into Africa and South America. Epidemiol Infect 2020;148.
[25] B. Cham, S. Scholes, L. Ng Fat, O. Badjie, J.S. Mindell Burden of hypertension in
the Gambia: evidence from a national World Health Organization (WHO) STEP
survey. Int J Epidemiol 2018;47(3):860–871.
[26] S.A. Lone, A. Ahmad COVID-19 pandemic – an African perspective. Emerg
Microb Infect 2020;9. doi:10.1080/22221751.2020.1775132.