Where the pandemic wave crests
Covid-19 hotspots on three continents, and other news from the Global South.
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The Worldwise View
As the virus sweeps the globe, the new Covid-19 hotspots drawing concern are on three different continents.
As Europe and the United States get past their pandemic peaks, and New Zealand shakes off the virus completely, the media spotlight is on parts of the Global South hit by both the virus and a poor response by governments.
Read on for the details.
Meanwhile, official death counts still underestimate the true numbers globally, according to the Economist, and this is probably more the case in developing countries. That’s not stopping many of those countries from starting to ease lockdowns too, even though cases are still rising.
Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash
Latin America is the new epicentre of the pandemic (CNN + Reuters + CIDRAP).
Officials from the regional office of the WHO said in a recent briefing that they expect cases to rise in several countries. Deaths in Brazil and Mexico have already overtaken those in the US (Axios + Reuters).
Brazil is still taking a serious hit—this was happening a couple of weeks ago too—having recently recorded the world’s second highest number of cases. But President Bolsonaro continues to play down the crisis, and is taking all Covid-19 data offline. Pointing to mass graves and hospitals on the brink of collapse, some argue the country is in freefall. Meanwhile, deforestation soars in the Amazon as the pandemic disrupts law enforcement.
Signs of Covid-19 strain are also showing in remote parts of Peru. Although the government is said to be doing a good job overall, some groups are losing out: people with disabilities, for one, and indigenous communities.
The news from Central America doesn’t paint a good picture. Hospitals are under strain in Mexico (NYT + WaPo). And Nicaragua rebrands its Covid-19 deaths, saying they're due to pneumonia.
But there are some bright spots in the region. Cuba is a success story, and it's down to health workers doing the old-fashioned door-to-door monitoring. Momentum for cycling has picked up to deal with lockdown in major cities, with Medellin in Colombia pushing its eco-city vision for post-pandemic recovery.
VISUAL | What it takes to get medical care in the Brazilian Amazon - AP
The second pandemic hotspot is South Asia, where infections are rising fast.
India is climbing the ranks among heavily affected countries and experts believe it’s yet to reach its pandemic peak. The country has eased its strict lockdown after the devastating economic impact it caused, and this risks further spread of the virus. Mumbai’s hospitals are already overwhelmed, and Covid-19 patients were among the evacuees as Cyclone Nisarga landed near the city recently.
Meanwhile, it’s emerged that the major exodus prompted by the country’s sudden lockdown has caused the deaths of nearly 200 migrant workers in road accidents. And Prime Minister Modi is said to be using the pandemic as cover for a war on journalists.
Bangladesh, among the worst-affected countries in the region, isn’t doing enough testing, according to a policy analysis. People working in garment factories are classed as 'essential workers’—the industry accounts for 84% of the country's export revenue—and have been asked to keep working for a fraction of their already meagre salaries.
In Cox’s Bazar, thousands of Rohingya refugees are under quarantine as recorded cases start to rise. Some have run away in fear of being transferred to an isolated island.
VISUAL | Lockdown in Dhaka: where social distancing is an illusion - Guardian
The crisis in Yemen, long battered by conflict, is also in the spotlight.
Several reports point to a high toll and an ‘invisible outbreak’ (WaPo + Economist). Meanwhile, warnings continue that humanitarian aid is drying up, and pledges are falling short of the funding needed to deal with the crisis (NPR + Devex + Guardian).
This is a first-hand account from medical staff working with MSF-Doctors without Borders on the ground.
More about Covid-19 in the Global South
Lockdown has been strict in the Philippines, which is among the countries hardest hit in southeast Asia, and millions are left jobless - Al Jazeera
Vietnam has done well to contain the virus, and its success relies on tech and surveillance - Medium OneZero
In Afghanistan, the response has to go through Taliban territory - New Humanitarian
Egypt’s medical union takes the brave step of accusing the government of negligence in its pandemic response - AP
Poverty could double in the West Bank as the Coronavirus hits Palestinians - France24
VISUAL | Life under Coronavirus in the DRC, captured by local photographers - BBC
Beyond the pandemic
There’s a fresh outbreak of Ebola in the DRC. This means the country is fighting two outbreaks of the disease, plus Coronavirus and measles - NYT + WHO + Telegraph + CIDRAP
Locust swarms head for India ahead of planting season. Some farmers are resorting to loud music and car horns to scare them off - Bloomberg + Reuters + Guardian + Telegraph
Lead-acid batteries used for storing unused solar power could bring new health risks in off-grid communities - Undark
Chinese NGOs, the new kid on the block in Africa’s civil society, are making mistakes but learning fast - The China-Africa Project
Worldwise is written by Anita Makri. Was this email forwarded to you? Learn more and subscribe here.