[Epidemiological specificities of COVID-19 in Africa: Current or future public health concern?]

Africa is the continent which is the least equipped to fight the COVID-19 epidemic. However, Africa, which represents 17 % of the world's population, is estimated to have only 5 % of global cases (source: WHO on 2020/08/04). In this work, the authors try to identify and understand the reasons for these epidemiological data.

Some follow-up indicators have been carried out, mainly through WHO reports. These data were compared with the literature and the field expertise of the association "Biologie sans frontières" in Africa.

The following points mark the particularity of COVID-19 in Africa: (1) insufficient diagnostic capacity (linked to gross national product), (2) a younger population limiting the population at risk and the number of deaths, (3) a favourable climate (hot and humid) which is decreasing viral transmission, (4) some socio-cultural factors that can reduce cases reporting.

Today, this health crisis is omnipresent while the number of deaths remains limited in Africa. Simultaneously, actions concerning African public health priorities (malaria, diarrhoea, AIDS…) are interrupted or slowed down.