Inside Story

Are African countries staying ahead of the coronavirus?

Scientists question low infection and death rates on the continent.

When coronavirus started to spread around the world, aid workers warned of disaster for Africa.

Health systems are weak and poorly funded in many places, and crowded cities make physical distancing impossible.

But the African countries appear to be managing.

Senegal and Ghana are among the countries praised for their approach to tackling the disease.

The number of infections and deaths in Africa is much lower than the United States, Europe and Latin America.

But scientists say the figures are misleading because of low testing rates.

So are we getting a full picture of the situation?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Dr Shabir Madhi – director of the South African Medical Research Council and member of the South Africa Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19

Dr Olive Kobusingye – fellow at the George Institute for Global Health

Dr Yap Boum – regional representative of Epicentre Africa, the research branch of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF)