ReliefWeb

1. Situation update

The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the WHO African Region is now at 1 175 271 with 25 825 deaths. Since our last External Situation Report 30 issued on 23 September 2020, a total of 25 327 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 817 new deaths were reported from 45 countries between 23 and 29 September 2020. This is a 13% decrease in incidence cases and a 7% increase in deaths compared to 29 218 cases and 764 deaths registered during the previous reporting period (17 - 24 September 2020). Countries reporting the highest number of cases in the past seven days include; South Africa 9 290 (37%), Ethiopia 4 162 (16%),
Mozambique 1 442 (6%), Uganda 1 305 (5%) and Kenya 1 154 (5%). Case incidence has continued to decrease in the past weeks, with South Africa continuing to consistently register the largest number of reported cases for many weeks, however with a 21% decrease noted in the past seven days.

Thirty-one countries recorded a decrease in new cases compared to 29 countries in the previous period, with 18 of them registering a decrease of more than 20%; Cameroon (62%), Gambia (61%), Equatorial Guinea (44%),
Chad (44%), South Sudan (43%), Zambia (43%), Comoros (39%), Senegal (30%), Benin (29%), Madagascar (28%), Burkina Faso (26%), Guinea-Bissau (25%), Namibia (25%), Liberia (22%), Niger (22%), Algeria (22%),
Mali (21%) and South Africa (21%).

During this reporting period, 14 countries reported an increase in case-counts; Burundi (700%), Mauritius (600%), Botswana (482%), Sao Tome and Principe (200%), Lesotho (178%), Seychelles (100%), Côte d'Ivoire (51%), Cabo Verde (30%), Kenya (27%), Congo (18%), Ghana (3%%), Eritrea (3%), Mozambique (3%), and Mauritania (1%). Angola and Sierra Leone did not record any significant change in their case incidence.
Only United Republic of Tanzania did not officially submit any report indicating any new confirmed case.
A total of 289 new health worker infections were reported from seven countries: Uganda (181), Mozambique (64), Eswatini (16), Namibia (14) and Guinea (12).

During this period, 817 new COVID-19 related deaths occurred in 28 countries, with 549 (67%) of the deaths recorded in South Africa. This was followed by Ethiopia, with 64 (8%) deaths, Kenya with 48 (6%) and Algeria with 37 (5%). Ethiopia and Algeria recorded a 15% and 35% decrease in deaths, respectively; while the number of deaths in Kenya and South Africa increased by 92% and 15% respectively.

The other 24 countries that reported new deaths during the reporting period include; Angola (24), Mozambique (14), Nigeria (11), Uganda (11), Cabo Verde (7), Senegal (7), Togo (7), Namibia (5), Chad (4), Ghana (4),
Botswana (3), Madagascar (3), Cameroon (2), Eswatini (2), Gambia (2), Lesotho (2), Mali (2), Rwanda (2),
Zimbabwe (2), Guinea (1), Benin (1), Burkina Faso (1), Democratic Republic of the Congo (1) and Zambia (7).
As of 29 September 2020, a cumulative total of 1 175 271 COVID-19 cases was reported in the region, including 1 175 270 confirmed, with one probable case reported in Democratic Republic of the Congo. South Africa has consistently registered more than half, 57% (672 572), of all reported confirmed cases in the region. The other countries that have reported large numbers of cases are Ethiopia (74 584), Nigeria (58 647), Algeria (51 368),
Ghana (46 482), Kenya (38 378), Cameroon (20 838), Côte d’Ivoire (19 669), Madagascar (16 377) and Senegal (14 919). These 10 countries collectively account for 86% (1 013 834) of all reported cases.