You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis.
Top Stories:
Across Africa, people are finding local solutions to the global challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. From technological innovation to community collaboration, ordinary citizens are using the resources at hand to address the unprecedented hurdles they are facing. se.
The United Nations Secretary-General says the lack of a global strategy to fight COVID-19, has allowed the deadly disease to spread. Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Antonio Guterres says it’s tragic that world leaders have not been able to unite to battle coronavirus in a coordinated manner.
The United Nations estimates that 8% of the world’s population, about 500 million people, could be forced into poverty by year’s end because of the devastation brought by COVID-19. The global tally of coronavirus cases continues to rise. There are more than 3.2 million confirmed cases worldwide with more than 233-thousand deaths, according to early Friday numbers from the Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource center.
Senegal, with a population of nearly 16 million, is reporting 933 COVID-19 cases with 9 deaths, according to Reuters. Despite declaring a state of emergency, closing schools, and issuing restrictions on gatherings and travel, coronavirus cases are continuing to rise.
Zambia’s ministry of finance says it is receiving 145-million dollars from the U.S. and Britain to help fight COVID-19. The southern African country has confirmed 97 infections and three deaths from the virus.
Namibian President Hage Geingob says the country will begin to ease national virus restrictions on Tuesday, to allow the return of economic activity under a strict observance.
Across Africa, people are finding local solutions to the global challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. From technological innovation to community collaboration, ordinary citizens are using the resources at hand to address the unprecedented hurdles they are facing.
Across Africa, people are finding local solutions to the global challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. From technological innovation to community collaboration, ordinary citizens are using the resources at hand to address the unprecedented hurdles they are facing.
In Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, businesses across the country have been shut down their offices and people are asked to work remotely from their homes. The shutdown has been especially hard on the wedding industry, because of its dependence on crowds and physical gatherings.
The World Food Program has dispatched its first planeload of medical supplies bound for Burkina Faso as it helps developing nations to battle the corona-virus pandemic.
A54 Entertainment: Senegalese jazz artist Alune Wade has one song for you to celebrate an especially jazzy week. Heather Maxwell brings us up to speed along with Kwame Ofori and 9 other acclaimed international jazz artists.
#Coronavirus #UnitedNations #COVID19 #Senegal #Zambia #Namibia #WFP #Nigeria #Jazz #AluneWade
