Spécificités épidémiologiques de la COVID-19 en Afrique : préoccupation de santé publique actuelle ou future ?

OBJECTIVES: Africa is the continent which is the least equipped to fight the COVID-19 epidemic. However, Africa, which represents 17 % of the world's population, is estimated to have only 5 % of global cases (source: WHO on 2020/08/04). In this work, the authors try to identify and understand the reasons for these epidemiological data. METHOD: Some follow-up indicators have been carried out, mainly through WHO reports. These data were compared with the literature and the field expertise of the association “Biologie sans frontières” in Africa. RESULTS: The following points mark the particularity of COVID-19 in Africa: (1) insufficient diagnostic capacity (linked to gross national product), (2) a younger population limiting the population at risk and the number of deaths, (3) a favourable climate (hot and humid) which is decreasing viral transmission, (4) some socio-cultural factors that can reduce cases reporting. CONCLUSION: Today, this health crisis is omnipresent while the number of deaths remains limited in Africa. Simultaneously, actions concerning African public health priorities (malaria, diarrhoea, AIDS…) are interrupted or slowed down.