Table 4.

Health, social, economic, and political impacts of COVID-19 in Africa [13, 41, 52–66, 69–85]

Type	Impact
Health impact	1,039,678+ confirmed cases and 22,966+ deaths Increased risk of morbidity and mortality among people with comorbidities, disabilities, and the elderly Victimization of frontline healthcare workers and increased strain on under-resourced health systems Lack of appropriate medical treatment infrastructure Increased burden on existing diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhea, and lower respiratory tract infections
Social impact	Breakdown in social cohesion following social distancing and interpersonal isolations Majority of academic institution closed Travel bans at international, national, and local levels Food markets closed, limited access to food sources Starvation increased among vulnerable communities Religious gatherings restricted Fear-borne isolation and discrimination created Huma rights violation, growth in illegal practices such as increased crime False news on social media leads communities to incorrect virus prevention responses Exacerbated inequalities, victimization of women and the elderly
Economic impact	Suspension of the aviation and shipping industries for goods and people Primary, secondary, and tertiary industries affected by varying states of lockdown Production of domestic products limited Tourism industry paused and possibly affected long-term Value of supply chains decreased Import and exports diminished, affecting foreign revenue Trade and industry suspended Increased debt to address the pandemic Supply and demand for certain products reduced Financial recession/depression Increase in unemployment with reduced per-capita income Increased pressure on monetary and fiscal policies
Political impact	Governmental, non-governmental, and private sector organizations closed Countries shut their borders, preventing the movement of goods and services Discrimination of refugees and immigrants increased Evacuation of citizens to their home countries result in distrust among leaders Postponement of national elections exacerbate conflicts and unrest Implementation of measures like handwashing may not be appropriate for Africa