Assessing the vulnerability of West and Central African countries to COVID-19

As of October 2021, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in African countries are still unfolding. The early stages of the pandemic were characterized by apparent lower illness and mortality rates in Africa compared to the other world regions, although significant underreporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Africa is likely. 1 However, the economic effects of the pandemic and the measures taken to combat it were expected to impact African countries severely, worsening poverty and hunger and erasing recent economic gains (Bouët, Laborde, and Seck 2021). A “third wave” of the pandemic in mid-2021 saw rapidly escalating health effects and a return to lockdowns and other mitigation efforts in many countries (Mwai 2021). The crisis is expected to have severe impacts on food security in Africa as in other regions, due to food supply chain disruptions, income loss, school closures, and other factors (HLPE 2020).PRIFPRI4; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; Feed the Future Initiative; ReSAKSSAF