Saving lives from COVID-19 in Africa will mean little if it also means allowing the number of lives lost to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria to rise. Even as policymakers and civil-society leaders work to stop a new killer disease, they must resolve to sustain progress toward eliminating those we already know.
GENEVA – As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surpasses 500,000, the new coronavirus is at the forefront of the public consciousness. But the continent was beset by infectious disease long before the current pandemic began. And, as long as governments and donors remain preoccupied with curbing COVID-19, killers like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) will only grow stronger.
GENEVA – As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surpasses 500,000, the new coronavirus is at the forefront of the public consciousness. But the continent was beset by infectious disease long before the current pandemic began. And, as long as governments and donors remain preoccupied with curbing COVID-19, killers like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) will only grow stronger.