Women in Africa are
less likely to die from Covid-19 than men, but more likely to succumb to
maternal complications due to limited access to reproductive services since the
pandemic started, the UN said on Thursday citing reports.
A study of 28 African
countries including Guinea, Mauritius and Uganda showed that on average, women
accounted for a slightly smaller proportion of coronavirus infections and
deaths compared to men.
Overall around 41 per
cent of reported Covid-19 cases were women, although the figures ranged widely
from 31 per cent in Niger to more than 57 per cent in South Africa.
"In most
countries, women are somewhat less likely to die from Covid-19 than men,"
World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti
told an online news conference.
But the pandemic had
exposed gaps in health services, with women suffering the brunt of disrupted
access to care.
"There was a rise
in maternal deaths in 10 countries," Moeti said, making reference to
another study that collated data between Feb and July 2020.
The highest jumps were
recorded in the Comoros, Mali, Senegal and South Africa.
Access to sexual and
reproductive care was already poor on the continent before coronavirus hit.
But access was made
worse by restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, pushing more women to
seek risky informal abortions, Moeti explained.
Overstretched
hospitals were often unable to see patients seeking non-coronavirus related
services, she added.
More data is still
needed to determine the full extent of the effect. - AFP
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