The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries
Abstract Background In early March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit West Africa. In response, countries in the region quickly set up crisis management committees and implemented drastic measures to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this article is to analyse the epidemiologica...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11529-7 |
| _version_ | 1831572467774128128 |
|---|---|
| author | E. Bonnet O. Bodson F. Le Marcis A. Faye N. E. Sambieni F. Fournet F. Boyer A. Coulibaly K. Kadio F. B. Diongue V. Ridde |
| author_facet | E. Bonnet O. Bodson F. Le Marcis A. Faye N. E. Sambieni F. Fournet F. Boyer A. Coulibaly K. Kadio F. B. Diongue V. Ridde |
| author_sort | E. Bonnet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In early March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit West Africa. In response, countries in the region quickly set up crisis management committees and implemented drastic measures to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this article is to analyse the epidemiological evolution of COVID-19 in seven Francophone West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal) as well as the public health measures decided upon during the first 7 months of the pandemic. Methods Our method is based on quantitative and qualitative data from the pooling of information from a COVID-19 data platform and collected by a network of interdisciplinary collaborators present in the seven countries. Descriptive and spatial analyses of quantitative epidemiological data, as well as content analyses of qualitative data on public measures and management committees were performed. Results Attack rates (October 2020) for COVID-19 have ranged from 20 per 100,000 inhabitants (Benin) to more than 94 per 100,000 inhabitants (Senegal). All these countries reacted quickly to the crisis, in some cases before the first reported infection, and implemented public measures in a relatively homogeneous manner. None of the countries implemented country-wide lockdowns, but some implemented partial or local containment measures. At the end of June 2020, countries began to lift certain restrictive measures, sometimes under pressure from the general population or from certain economic sectors. Conclusion Much research on COVID-19 remains to be conducted in West Africa to better understand the dynamics of the pandemic, and to further examine the state responses to ensure their appropriateness and adaptation to the national contexts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T13:26:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6e0949681ee748aeb0900e672b21979b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T13:26:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6e0949681ee748aeb0900e672b21979b2022-12-21T21:46:42ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582021-08-0121111710.1186/s12889-021-11529-7The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countriesE. Bonnet0O. Bodson1F. Le Marcis2A. Faye3N. E. Sambieni4F. Fournet5F. Boyer6A. Coulibaly7K. Kadio8F. B. Diongue9V. Ridde10Résiliences / PRODIG, French National Research Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentFaculty of Social Sciences, University of LiègeTriangle (UMR 5206), ENS de Lyon, TransVIHMI (UMI 233), French National Research Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentInstitut de Santé et Développement (ISED), Université Cheikh Anta DiopFaculty of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences (FLASH) and Laboratoire de recherches sur les dynamiques sociales et le développement local (Lasdel), University of ParakouMIVEGEC (Univ Montpellier, IRD, CNRS), French National Research Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentResearch Unit “Migration and Society”, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Associated with the Study and Research Group on Migration, Spaces and Societies, Abdou Moumouni UniversityFaculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and TechnologiesInstitute for Health Science Research (IRSS)Institut de Santé et Développement (ISED), Université Cheikh Anta DiopCentre Population et Développement (Ceped), IRD, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and Université de Paris, Inserm ERL 1244Abstract Background In early March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit West Africa. In response, countries in the region quickly set up crisis management committees and implemented drastic measures to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this article is to analyse the epidemiological evolution of COVID-19 in seven Francophone West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal) as well as the public health measures decided upon during the first 7 months of the pandemic. Methods Our method is based on quantitative and qualitative data from the pooling of information from a COVID-19 data platform and collected by a network of interdisciplinary collaborators present in the seven countries. Descriptive and spatial analyses of quantitative epidemiological data, as well as content analyses of qualitative data on public measures and management committees were performed. Results Attack rates (October 2020) for COVID-19 have ranged from 20 per 100,000 inhabitants (Benin) to more than 94 per 100,000 inhabitants (Senegal). All these countries reacted quickly to the crisis, in some cases before the first reported infection, and implemented public measures in a relatively homogeneous manner. None of the countries implemented country-wide lockdowns, but some implemented partial or local containment measures. At the end of June 2020, countries began to lift certain restrictive measures, sometimes under pressure from the general population or from certain economic sectors. Conclusion Much research on COVID-19 remains to be conducted in West Africa to better understand the dynamics of the pandemic, and to further examine the state responses to ensure their appropriateness and adaptation to the national contexts.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11529-7COVID-19SARS-CoV-2West AfricaInterventionPublic healthSpatial analyses |
| spellingShingle | E. Bonnet O. Bodson F. Le Marcis A. Faye N. E. Sambieni F. Fournet F. Boyer A. Coulibaly K. Kadio F. B. Diongue V. Ridde The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries BMC Public Health COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 West Africa Intervention Public health Spatial analyses |
| title | The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries |
| title_full | The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries |
| title_fullStr | The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries |
| title_short | The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries |
| title_sort | covid 19 pandemic in francophone west africa from the first cases to responses in seven countries |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 West Africa Intervention Public health Spatial analyses |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11529-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ebonnet thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT obodson thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT flemarcis thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT afaye thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT nesambieni thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT ffournet thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT fboyer thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT acoulibaly thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT kkadio thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT fbdiongue thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT vridde thecovid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT ebonnet covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT obodson covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT flemarcis covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT afaye covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT nesambieni covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT ffournet covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT fboyer covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT acoulibaly covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT kkadio covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT fbdiongue covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries AT vridde covid19pandemicinfrancophonewestafricafromthefirstcasestoresponsesinsevencountries |