According to the CDC, from the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, scientists around the world have been working to identify the source of the outbreak. They have been studying the disease and develop guidance to slow the spread while monitoring and tracking its progress. These investigations are guiding government health officials to make informed decisions.

To gain knowledge of the COVID-19 burden and how it has progressed in african countries, cumulative incidences and prevalences were estimated. The data were sourced from COVID-19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University and population data from World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision.

(Use dropdown for different months and by hovering over a country from the maps below, the cumulative numbers(map on left) and new cases(map on the right) of COVID-19 will automatically appear in the window).

COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Africa in February, 2020 when Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria confirmed their first cases. By 13th May, all countries in Africa had recorded at least one case, with Djibouti and Gabon having the highest prevalence.

Overall the highest COVID-19 incidence rates are found in the northernmost and southernmost countries of the continent. Despite the decline in newly diagnosed cases, between mid-july and september, the reported number of cases have been increasing since october (45% increase in cases per week on average in Kenya). Moreover, as of 30th november, people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Africa represent 3.45% of the total cases globally.