“I’m very involved the moment we’re starting to see an acceleration of the disease in Africa,” WHO Emergency Chief Michael Ryan said at a virtual press conference.
Until recently, Africa had remained unscathed from the pandemic compared to the expanding numbers seen in other parts of the world.
With more than 15,000 deaths and only around 725,000 cases, the continent remains the least affected time in the world after Oceania.
But the scenario is becoming more worrying, especially in South Africa.
The country, which over the weekend saw its death toll from the new coronavirus exceeded 5,000 and recorded more than 350,000 infections, is among the highest hit in Africa.
But Ryan warned that the stage there can be noted as “a warning” to what the rest of the continent has in store for.
“While South Africa is experiencing a very, very serious event, I think it is an indicator of what the continent might face if urgent action is not taken to provide more support,” he said.
“South Africa can unfortunately be a precursor, it can be a precaution for what will happen in the rest of Africa.”
‘A wake-up call’
Ryan noted that the epidemic in South Africa had begun earlier than that of several other African countries. First, it had spread to richer areas, but now it had moved to poorer, more rural areas, he said.
“As a result, South Africa is experiencing this acceleration,” he said, stressing, however, that acceleration is no faster than in other parts of the continent.
While South Africa’s figures outnumbered the larger ones, “alone” rose by 30% last week, he said.
By comparison, the numbers in Kenya rose to 31%, Madagascar to 50%, Zambia to 57% and Namibia to the rate, he said.
“What we’re starting to see is a continuous acceleration of transmission in several countries,” he said.
“It’s not just a wake-up call for the South Africa Array… We have to take what’s in Africa very, very seriously.”