We are living through a defining moment for the 21st Century, as we experience profound socio-economic disruptions. Covid-19 is not only a global health security challenge that has caused immense loss of life and human suffering, the true extent of its impacts will be most pronounced in the aftermath of the public health emergency. Anticipated economic vulnerabilities, recessions and mass unemployment threaten to further complicate the socio-political landscape.
African governments had a brief window to prepare for the unavoidable. The arrival of Covid-19 on the continent on 14 February, 2020 found many states relatively underprepared for a risk of this magnitude. Political and business leaders have been balancing the risk of spread of the disease against the socio-economic consequences of prolonged restrictions. The impact on the informal sector (which is larger than the formal economy), small to medium enterprises and livelihoods, is devastating. Businesses have ground to a halt and households have become financially insecure, overnight. Difficult decisions have been taken and trade-offs are being made in the medium-to-long-term, as Covid-19 is projected to remain in our midst for a prolonged period.
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