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Lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 in nine sub-Saharan African countries

Haider, Najmul; Osman, Abdinasir Yusuf; Gadzekpo, Audrey; Akipede, George O; Asogun, Danny; Ansumana, Rashid; Lessells, Richard John; Khan, Palwasha; Hamid, Muzamil Mahdi Abdel; Yeboah-Manu, Dorothy; Mboera, Leonard; Shayo, Elizabeth Henry; Mmbaga, Blandina T; Urassa, Mark; Musoke, David; Kapata, Nathan; Ferrand, Rashida Abbas; Kapata, Pascalina-Chanda; Stigler, Florian; Czypionka, Thomas; Zumla, Alimuddin; Kock, Richard; McCoy, David

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Authors

Abdinasir Yusuf Osman

Audrey Gadzekpo

George O Akipede

Danny Asogun

Rashid Ansumana

Richard John Lessells

Palwasha Khan

Muzamil Mahdi Abdel Hamid

Dorothy Yeboah-Manu

Leonard Mboera

Elizabeth Henry Shayo

Blandina T Mmbaga

Mark Urassa

David Musoke

Nathan Kapata

Rashida Abbas Ferrand

Pascalina-Chanda Kapata

Florian Stigler

Thomas Czypionka

Alimuddin Zumla

Richard Kock

David McCoy



Abstract

<jats:p>Lockdown measures have been introduced worldwide to contain the transmission of COVID-19. However, the term ‘lockdown’ is not well-defined. Indeed, WHO’s reference to ‘so-called lockdown measures’ indicates the absence of a clear and universally accepted definition of the term ‘lockdown’. We propose a definition of ‘lockdown’ based on a two-by-two matrix that categorises different communicable disease measures based on whether they are compulsory or voluntary; and whether they are targeted at identifiable individuals or facilities, or whether they are applied indiscriminately to a general population or area. Using this definition, we describe the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. While there were some commonalities in the implementation of lockdown across these countries, a more notable finding was the variation in the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures. We also found that the number of reported cases is heavily dependent on the number of tests carried out, and that testing rates ranged from 2031 to 63?928 per million population up until 7 September 2020. The reported number of COVID-19 deaths per million population also varies (0.4 to 250 up until 7 September 2020), but is generally low when compared with countries in Europe and North America. While lockdown measures may have helped inhibit community transmission, the pattern and nature of the epidemic remains unclear. However, there are signs of lockdown harming health by affecting the functioning of the health system and causing social and economic disruption.</jats:p>

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 11, 2020
Online Publication Date Oct 7, 2020
Publication Date Oct 7, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal BMJ Global Health
Print ISSN 2059-7908
Publisher BMJ Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 5
Issue 10
Pages e003319 - e003319
DOI https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003319
Publisher URL https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/10/e003319

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