More Than 10,000 African Health Workers Have Covid-19, WHO Says

(Bloomberg) --

At least 10,000 health workers have been infected with the coronavirus in the 40 countries across Africa that have have reported cases, according to the World Health Organization.

“The growth we are seeing in Covid-19 cases in Africa is placing an ever-greater strain on health services across the continent,” the WHO’s regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said in an emailed statement on Thursday. “In many African countries infection prevention and control measures aimed at preventing infections in health facilities are still not fully implemented.”

First responders account for more than 5% of cases in 14 sub-Saharan African countries, despite limited data on the morbidity and mortality of health workers on the continent. Health workers make up 10% of total cases globally. Active coronavirus cases on the continent are now more than 750,000, and 15,000 lives have succumbed to the disease, according to the WHO.

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