United Nations Development Programme
Regional Bureau for Africa
Supporting and Strengthening
Regional Preparedness, Response
and Recovery to COVID-19
Keeping Ahead of the Curve
©UNDP Djibouti/Aurelia Rusck
In the last week, sub-Saharan Africa has experienced 30-
fold increase in the confirmed cases of Corona Virus Disease
(COVID-19). If the spread of the disease is not stemmed, the
multidimensional consequences for the continent will be
unprecedented. Poor health systems will accelerate human
fatalities. Projected economic growth is expected to decline
from 3.8 percent to less than 1.8 percent. There could be a
48 percent decline in employment; substantial loss to air
transport revenue as well as a sharp reduction in revenue for
commodity exporters are already expected.
Added to this are the latent vulnerabilities that many countries
within the region continue to cope with, and that stem from
the many forms of crises experienced in the past, or that
continue today. They include conflicts as well as vulnerabilities
resulting from climate change and other environmental
factors. The COVID-19 crisis, if it remains unchecked, will
contribute to exacerbating these vulnerabilities, resulting in
unravelling years of peace dividends and development gains
for many communities.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the last frontier for the spread
of COVID-19. But its aftermath will have longstanding
consequences for the continent, with huge global implications.
The RBA must immediately respond to support national and
regional initiatives, in line with UNDP’s Policy and Programme
Framework, to
prepare, respond to and help countries
recover
from this crisis.
In this regard, UNDP Africa will work with Governments to
ensure that we keep ahead of the curve of the COVID-19 crisis
in the Africa region.
UNDP’s programme framework is anchored in a three-
pronged approach to support countries in responding
concomitantly across the
pre-surge, surge and recovery
phases,
with a focus on vulnerable populations and those left
farthest behind likely to see a “surge” in new cases over the
next few weeks.
PREPARE
countries in the pre-surge or
preparedness stage, where
cases are still low
RESPOND
countries that are currently
in the surge response stage,
with full community spread
of the virus
RECOVER
no country in Africa is in the surge
stage but there is an opportunity to
learn from effective containment strat-
egies that have slowed and reversed
the rate of virus spread