Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are taking sweeping measures to halt the advance of Covid-19, imposing limits on public gatherings and the like. But for the region's most vulnerable, social distancing is not realistic.

Outlooks / Health

Abebe Aemro Selassie: What Covid-19 Means for sub-Saharan Africa

Abe Selassie

March 27, 2020

Covid-19 will have a substantial economic impact on sub-Saharan Africa. (iStock by Getty Images/AJ_Watt)

  • Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are taking sweeping measures to halt the advance of Covid-19, imposing limits on public gatherings and the like. But for the region's most vulnerable, social distancing is not realistic.
Abe Selassie - Abebe Aemro Selassie: What Covid-19 Means for sub-Saharan Africa
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In This Episode

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are taking sweeping measures to halt the advance of Covid-19, imposing limits on public gatherings and the like. But for the region's most vulnerable, social distancing is not realistic. In this podcast, IMF African Department head Abebe Aemro Selassie, says anything that will help contain the spread of the virus, like closing borders to people, will help minimize added strain on already fragile health systems. Selassie says what began as a health crisis is now a major global economic crisis, and he fears African countries will be swept up in that.

Read Selassie's BLOG and others on the response to the coronavirus at Blogs.IMF.org

Abe-Selassie

ABE SELASSIE  is director of the IMF’s African Department.

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