A United Nations commission is warningthat the coronavirus could kill a minimum of 300,000 people in Africa and create catastrophic poverty.
African nations don't currently rank as global hot spots for COVID-19. As of Friday, the African Centers for Disease Control counted just over 18,000 coronavirus cases and 960 deaths across the vast continent.
But a new report by the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa warns of extreme dangers and, potentially, millions of deaths. It says Africa is acutely vulnerable to the pandemic because of its packed urban population centers, scant hospital resources and lack of water and sanitary infrastructure in many areas.
The commission says the continent urgently needs emergency investment. It calls for $100 billion for health care and another $100 billion in stimulus money to ward off an economic collapse.
The commission says the continent needs "double access" to financing from the International Monetary Fund and other foreign aid.
The report said: "While developed countries have injected trillions of dollars into ... health, social safety net and economic stimulus responses ... Africa does not have the fiscal flexibility or space to deal with the shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic."
The World Health Organization says the continent of 1.3 billion people could get 10 million severe virus cases in the next six months.
The chief of the African CDC says 10 of Africa's 54 countries lack a single hospital ventilator. He said Thursday that 1 million COVID-19 tests will be distributed next week, and another 15 million will be needed over the next three months.
