IMF Head and Senegal President Urge Covid Recovery Aid for Africa

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva visited Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal in December, where she met with the current and upcoming chairs of the African Union (AU). In a guest column, she and Senegal's President Macky Sall - who will take the chair of the AU in 2022 - envision ways to boost African recovery from the severe economic and social disruptions of today's global crisis.  

After the worst slump on record, Africa's economy is beginning to recover. But continuing global uncertainty, amid rising Covid-19 infections and the global spread of the Omicron variant, is threatening those prospects. Just over seven percent of Africans are vaccinated, contrasted with nearly 70 percent in advanced economies, largely due to companies and countries restricting Africa's access to vaccines. World Health Organization director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that vaccine inequity could end the pandemic. But he warns that without vaccine equity, the crisis will continue - for all countries. Georgieva and Sall urge the international community to take three major actions to change the dynamic and support Africa's recovery.