{"id":807,"date":"2026-01-31T06:27:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T06:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/profbisharegal.com\/?p=807"},"modified":"2026-01-31T06:27:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T06:27:54","slug":"the-impact-of-covid-19-on-africa-the-case-of-somalia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/profbisharegal.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/31\/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-africa-the-case-of-somalia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Impact of COVID-19 on Africa. The Case of Somalia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe now live in a nation where\u00a0doctors destroy health,\u00a0lawyers destroy justice,\u00a0universities destroy knowledge,\u00a0governments destroy freedom,\u00a0the press destroys information,\u00a0religion destroys morals,\u00a0and our banks\u00a0destroy the economy\u201d.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Chris Hedges\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Coronavirus (Covid-19<\/em><\/strong>) epidemic has hit really hard to African continent and Somalia in particularly.In this article I will discuss and reflect on the capabilities of different countries to respond to the crisis and contemplating the necessary actions in order to safeguard the public both health wise and economically<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

For a nation with a population of 19 million (2017)<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 there is\u00a0less than 50 intensive care (ICU<\/em>) beds in the country, besides lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies such as face masks, gloves and goggles as well as thermal temperature guns; \u00a0and qualified Medical\u00a0 virologist and intensive care medical gear such as ventilators and quarantine units.<\/p>\n

A pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, China was first reported to the WHO Country Office in China on 31 December 2019 and the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>on 30 January 2020. Subsequently on Feb. 11, 2020 it was named Covid-19 by the WHO.<\/p>\n

In Somalia, the first positive case was announced on 16 March, with the first fatality reported on 9 April 2020. On 23 April, the Ministry of Health reported 42 new cases in just one day.<\/p>\n

Initially\u00a0COVID-19 cases in Somalia were unknown and the federal government took the initiative of full preparedness with support of WHO, and the international community. The Government of Somalia continues to implement a range of preventive measures. This includes a curfew from 7 pm to 6 am, a ban on travel between regions, with some exemptions, such as emergency, humanitarian and essential services. All international air travel suspended.<\/p>\n

All nonessential services remain closed, and public sector offices remain on reduced working hours. Schools, Universities, and public gatherings of more than 5 person totally discouraged.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs of 6 April, the government has officially reported 7 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, 2 of these cases were reported from Somaliland. While 6 of these reported cases have travel history before they became sick or were quarantined, the investigation on the remaining case suggests that the case might have been locally acquired as the case has no travel history. This clearly shows that the country is now entering into a different transmission phase where further human-to-human transmission from COVID-19 can be expected. Given the fragility of the health systems, security situation in the country, weak surveillance system and insufficient number of skilled health workforce in the country, there are heightened risk that cases may go undetected or undiagnosed if community transmission begins as a result of wide-spread of the virus\u201d [1]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Since early April, Somalia has been on\u00a0lockdown<\/a>. Daily life has come to a halt. Movement is restricted. Public gatherings are suspended. All but a small number of essential businesses are closed.<\/p>\n

Every one of the country\u2019s 19 million people has been affected by these restrictions, but \u2013 as ever \u2013 the most vulnerable have been hit the hardest. In\u00a0Somalia, only a small minority are\u00a0formally employed<\/a>. Everyone else who earns a living works in the informal economy with no employer-provided benefits, few alternative livelihood options, and only the most meager social safety net to fall back on.<\/p>\n

The world is in the midst of a value shift that could potentially define the fourth revolution. We are witnessing a dynamic transition from maximizing growth to maximizing people\u2019s wellbeing and welfare. This has been marked through the increased awareness to combat the Covid-19 pandemics and now, to protect the population during the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n