COVID-19: 70% frontline nurses in Africa are women —UN
By Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis
WHO infographics
Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis
The United Nations says women form 70 per cent of frontline nurses who are fighting the novel coronavirus in healthcare facilities across Africa.
In her address at the inaugural meeting of African Ministers for Gender and Women's Affairs to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic themed "COVID-19 Response and Recovery," UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Ms. Vera Songwe, said women in healthcare deserved accolades for forming the bulk of healthcare workers in the continent.
"Seventy per cent of nurses in Africa are women; we must praise, protect and empower them," she said.
On challenges facing women and girls in Africa due to the pandemic, Songwe noted that as the continent begins to talk of exiting lockdowns that were imposed to curtail the spread of the virus, there was need to ensure that women and girls were protected.
"Young girls are also out of school and become commodities for their families.
"We should also worry about early pregnancies among our girls," she said, adding that women were at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis and should be hailed for their role.
In a related development, UN Women's Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who co-chaired the meeting, said women were a significant stakeholder in the fight against COVID-19, "but they are not necessarily in the leadership of responses and we know from Ebola experiences that when you exclude women, then you are likely to face a catastrophe."
"This pandemic is hitting hard sectors where majority of women are employed, and we know most women do not have savings; therefore, government and stakeholders should be keen on social protection and food security among other key issues in the gender responses of COVID-19," she added.
As of Thursday, May 21, the World Health Organsation reported 90,943 cumulative cases in 54 affected African countries, with 2,885 reported deaths and 35,257 reported recoveries.
To date, South Africa remains the most affected country in the continent with 17,200 cases.
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