COVID-19 and Africa: The Path Forward
A Conversation with Dr. Bernard Kadio

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Date: December 8th, 2020  – Time: 9am – 10am EST

1. Background /Justification

Since the outbreak of the novel corona virus, Africa has suffered from devastating effects as result of the pandemic as so many lives have been lost and still counting. As reported by Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa has had over 34,000 deaths as of the 23rd of September 2020. The pandemic has had an effect not only on the health sector but also on other domains such as economy, growth and development. The continent like other continents around the globe has been responding to this pandemic. Experts fear that the pandemic could be difficult to control in Africa, and could cause huge economic damage, due to the fact that majority of the healthcare systems in the continent are underdeveloped and in addition they lack equipment, funding, insufficient training of healthcare workers, and inefficient data transmission. Seemingly, the virus may still be around for a long time, hence it is imperative for Africa to continue to implement strategies that will ensure the continuous growth of its economy whilst responding to the pandemic.

2. The Goal and Purpose of this event

• To bring to light the impact of COVID-19 on the African continent
• Assess the response strategy of African countries: challenges and opportunities
• To propose strategies to revamp the African countries amid the consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic

3. Main themes to be discussed during the event

• Africa’s response to the pandemic
• Challenges faced in responding to the pandemic
• Effect of the pandemic on Africa’s growth and development
• How can Africa ensure its growth and development in the Post-COVID era?

4. Expected Results

At the end of the event, participants will understand the following;

• The impact of COVID-19 on the African continent
• The response strategy of African countries: challenges and opportunities
• Assessment of the Africa CDC and its effectiveness in continental level response

5. Time/Venue

December 8th, 2020 at 9am – 10am EST. Event will be held on ZOOM and streamed live

Main Guest
– Dr. Bernard Kadio

Health Research Professional – Bob Jones University

Moderator
– Dr Denis Foretia

Executive Chairman – Nkafu Policy Institute and  Co-Chair – Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation

7. Participants

The event will bring together public policy experts, policy makers at the national, continental and international levels, leaders of civil society organizations, economists, leaders of NGOs and international organizations. It will be open to the general public with a session for Q&A.