This is a legitimate question when we observe the numbers: Europe has 20 times more recorded cases and 58 times more deaths than Africa, for a population half the size! It is true that the figures currently available for Africa show the epidemic is still progressing, that there are insufficient tests, that statistical tracking is underdeveloped, etc. But it is also possible that the demographics of Africa have played a positive role: we know that the most vulnerable age group is 65 years and older. This sector represents just 3.5% of the African population, compared to over 18% in Europe.  The fact that the vast majority of African countries were quick to apply but confinement measures may also explain to some measure the low number of victims observed to date. Despite this, just four months from the onset of the pandemic, we can already see headlines starting to emerge in the Western media, claiming the situation in Africa is absolutely dire and it urgently needs help. To cite a f...

Likely not... but can it at least help overcome the misfortune of the coronavirus? This is the question leaders of the United States and the rich countries of Europe (the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Germany) might well ask themselves. These countries alone represent nearly 40% of the world's wealth and managed to mobilize several trillions of dollars in a matter of days! Despite this formidable deployment of financial resources, the results fall short of expectations. Four months in, these countries are still at the centre of the pandemic, with 76% of deaths worldwide, or an average of 426 per million inhabitants. The reason: decisions made too late, marked by hesitation and often by contradiction, as we have seen in the United States. Are Euro-North Americans happy? Perhaps, but in any case this has not helped them neutralize the virus. Let's take a look at what is happening on the opposite extreme of the world's wealth spectrum. A case in point, Morocco (again)....

"Europe and the United States have decided to earmark 4% of all funds expended in the fight against Covid-19 to the eradication of malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis, diseases that kill millions of people every year." I was sitting in front of my TV watching the news. I could barely believe my ears. As the report continued, I turned up the sound so as not to miss a word. The United States has lifted sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela and sent 10 planes with medical equipment and personnel to assist those countries in their fight against Covid-19. The leaders of North and South Korea have signed an historic agreement to reunite their country, henceforth known as the Republic of Korea. The African and European Unions have signed a free trade agreement, under which goods and citizens may circulate freely from one continent to the other. The stock exchanges are now publishing daily figures on the profits of major companies, broken down by country, to serve as t...

Six countries – the United States, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany – are at the centre of the pandemic, with more than 64% of all Covid-19 deaths. It would therefore be useful to take a look at how some these countries are managing the situation compared to others. We know that a vaccine won't be available for about 18 months and a treatment is still months off. So what are different countries doing in the meantime? The answers and results vary from one to another. On closer inspection, the answer ultimately depends on three factors: the state of the healthcare system, the economic reality and the priorities of leaders.As far as the economy is concerned, we can roughly divide countries into three groups: industrialized nations, those in the process of industrialization, and those facing great challenges. Within healthcare systems, certain elements stand out as having strategic importance at the current juncture. These include the number of beds in intens...