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Assessment of Vulnerability to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Central African Sub-region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2022

Gildas Boris Tazemda-Kuitsouc Open the ORCID record for Gildas Boris Tazemda-Kuitsouc [Opens in a new window] ,
Dominique Kuitsouc ,
Cécile Ingrid Djuikoue ,
Axel Stephane Nwaha-Makon ,
Celestin Tagne-Kamga ,
Rolline Kuitsouc-Domkam ,
Celine Keubou-Kuematsa ,
Gabriel Belefeh Nkafu ,
Romaric Tuono  and
Soumahoro Man-Koumba
...Show all authors
Gildas Boris Tazemda-Kuitsouc*
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon Réseau des hygiénistes du Cameroun (RHC), Bangangte, Cameroun Cabinet Conseil International pour la Sécurité et la Sûreté Humaine et Environnementale (Cashe), Yaounde, Cameroon
Dominique Kuitsouc
Affiliation:
Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS), Libreville, Gabon Cabinet Conseil International pour la Sécurité et la Sûreté Humaine et Environnementale (Cashe), Yaounde, Cameroon
Cécile Ingrid Djuikoue
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon Réseau des hygiénistes du Cameroun (RHC), Bangangte, Cameroun
Axel Stephane Nwaha-Makon
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon
Celestin Tagne-Kamga
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon Réseau des hygiénistes du Cameroun (RHC), Bangangte, Cameroun
Rolline Kuitsouc-Domkam
Affiliation:
Réseau des hygiénistes du Cameroun (RHC), Bangangte, Cameroun Universität Liechtenstein, Fürst-Franz-Josef-Strasse, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Cabinet Conseil International pour la Sécurité et la Sûreté Humaine et Environnementale (Cashe), Yaounde, Cameroon
Celine Keubou-Kuematsa
Affiliation:
Réseau des hygiénistes du Cameroun (RHC), Bangangte, Cameroun Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS), Libreville, Gabon Cabinet Conseil International pour la Sécurité et la Sûreté Humaine et Environnementale (Cashe), Yaounde, Cameroon Yaounde 2 University, Soa, Centre, Cameroon
Gabriel Belefeh Nkafu
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon
Romaric Tuono
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon
Soumahoro Man-Koumba
Affiliation:
Institut Pasteur de Côte d’Ivoire, Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Venant Tchokonte-Nana
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon
Lazare Kaptue Noche
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon
Ernest Tambo
Affiliation:
Université des Montagnes (UdM), Bangangté, West, Cameroon
Eugene Jamot Ndebia
Affiliation:
Cabinet Conseil International pour la Sécurité et la Sûreté Humaine et Environnementale (Cashe), Walter Sissulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa
*
Corresponding author: Gildas Boris Tazemda-Kuitsouc, Email: drtazemda@gmail.com.
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Abstract

Objective:

This study was aimed at examining the vulnerability of Central Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Demographic, health, and socio-economic indicators were used to describe the vulnerability. The study period was from December 31st, 2019 to May 31st, 2020 (i.e. 5 months after the start of the pandemic).

Results:

According to demographic indicators, African populations appear younger than in Europe, Asia, and North America, where evidence showed a higher lethality of COVID-19 and a higher frequency of hospitalization among the elderly. This highlights the protective effect of the age structure of Central African populations. Their populations face significant vulnerability from high morbidity and a considerable deficit in health care facilities and services. Poverty indicators are not in their favour for a sustainable implementation of effective pandemic control measures. Very low literacy rates in some countries, misinformation, and belief in conspiracy theories could affect the community involvement in the response. Several countries are weakened by other humanitarian crises, including conflicts and other epidemics. The early easing of lockdown restrictions in certain countries could worsen the situation.

Conclusion:

In this sub-region, where the largest proportion of the population lives in poverty, poor sanitary conditions, conflicts, and humanitarian crises, the question of standards of prevention could appear to be a luxurious idea relegated to the background. Central African countries need financial and logistical support for a sustainable and effective response. These observations could be easily extrapolated to other sub-Saharan sub-regions.

Keywords

COVID-19Sars-Cov-2pandemicvulnerabilityhazardCentral African sub-region
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e186
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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