Bulletin 11: SADC Regional Response to COVID-19

The 11th Bulletin of the SADC Response to COVID-19 provides an overview of the global, continental and regional situation. As at 14 August 2020, Africa marked six months since COVID-19 was first detected on the continent. The report provides a short summary on the progression of the pandemic as well as the measures that have been put in place with the support of WHO.

COVID-19 situation continues to rise in some Member States, destabilizing the economies and other systems. The Food and Nutrition situation in the region remains very precarious partly due to COVID-19. The report summarises the 2020 Regional Synthesis Report on Food and Nutrition Security and further provides the short, medium and long term interventions that Member States can put in place to address the dire situation in the region. Transport and Trade Facilitation remains a major challenge. Despite this, there have been remarkable achievements including the Tripartite Guidelines on Trade and Transport Facilitation for Safe, Efficient and Cost Effective Movement of Goods and Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic which harmonise the guidelines of SADC, East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

We are at a time in the pandemic where economic recovery is an imperative. Many Member States have resumed economic activity and are at a point of recovery across all sectors due to economic contraction.