JOHANNESBURG -- As Africa braces for a surge in coronavirus cases, its countries are dangerously behind in the global race for scarce medical equipment. Ten nations have no ventilators at all.
Africa also benefits from the U.N.'s largest emergency humanitarian operation in decades, with medical cargo including hundreds of ventilators arriving in Ethiopia this month and sent to all countries across the continent. Another shipment from the Jack Ma Foundation is on the way. While nations that are traditionally the world's top humanitarian donors are distracted, the WFP, the U.N.'s logistics leader, heaved the emergency operation into place with unprecedented reach. Normally in about 80 countries, this effort involves almost 120, Daoudi said.
The global supply crisis is so pressing that the U.N. General Assembly this week approved a resolution urging countries to immediately end "speculation and undue stockpiling." Separately, China said it won't restrict exports of needed medical goods. In the United States, the Trump administration has said coronavirus aid to at-risk countries would not include key medical equipment, to meet demand at home.
We need to fix this. We are losing too many people already who are vulnerable, our civilization is unkind and uncivilized. It’s time we ensure everyone is provided for. This would never have happened if everyone had what they needed. It’s time to lose the systems that got us here
the headline is a bit misleading because Africa is a HUGE Continent and certain regions of africa are better prepared. The affected regions will be sub saharan tropical africa where most of the impoverished people live (and regularly deal with other virus/outbreaks)