Africa’s Red Cross chief warns of Covid-19’s huge socio-economic impact

Africa’s Red Cross chief warns of Covid-19’s huge socio-economic impact

Sporadic testing and a dominance of other long-term issues, such as malnutrition and clean water, could leave Africa's story of how it faced Covid-19 untold, a senior charity worker said.

Patrick Youssef, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Africa director, said dealing with the daily challenges of delivering existing immunisation programmes in remote conflict areas overshadowed understanding the health impact of Covid-19.

Speaking on the opening day of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition (DIHAD), Mr Youssef warned against the “massive” socio-economic impact the virus would have on the continent in the years to come.