This is what Melinda Gates says on covid-19 effects in Africa
Melinda Gates, the wife of global billionaire Bill Gates, said developing countries, including those in Africa, would be severely affected by the deadly pandemic coronavirus: Covid-19. “When I saw what China had to do to isolate such an enormous part of their population, my first thought was Africa.”
Melinda told the American news channel CNN that the African continent will suffer enormous consequences if the pandemic reaches a peak in the same way as in Europe, America, and Asia. That is what keeps her up at night.
The billionaire’s wife warned the developing world – mostly African countries, against the global crisis. “COVID-19 will be horrible in the developing world,” she said. “We plan for earthquakes, we plan for tsunamis, we plan for tornadoes. We didn’t plan for disease, and I don’t think that will ever happen now.”
She feared that things would get worse in Africa once cases peaked due to inadequate health systems and lack of humanitarian support. Melinda Gates said that her worst nightmare was when she saw what China had to do to isolate a vast part of its population. Her first thought was Africa. How the hell are they going to deal with this?
“When I saw what China had to do to isolate such an enormous part of their population, my first thought was Africa. How in the world are they going to deal with this? I’ve been in townships all over Africa and slums.”
“When we talk about, in our country, physical distancing and then hand-washing, if you live in a slum, you can’t physical distance. You have to go out and get your meal. You don’t have clean water to wash your hands. And so as soon as I saw that. And we know from the foundation’s work how quickly the disease spreads. I thought. Oh my gosh. We have a crisis on our hands,” Bill Gate’s wife sounds.
Melinda Gates then referred to reports of corpses on the streets of Ecuador and said, “you are going to see this in Africa.” But some social media users said she should keep her negative words away from Africa.
“It’s gonna be horrible in the developing world, and part of the reason you are seeing the case number still doesn’t look very bad. It’s because they don’t have access to very many tasks. So, you know, look at Ecuador, look at what’s going on in Ecuador. They’re putting bodies out on the street. You’re going to see that in countries in Africa.”
She revealed that “what keeps me up at night are the vulnerable populations who I know in Africa, and I have met some of them. I can’t imagine being a parent in those circumstances, And those are the things that keep me up at night.”
Africa recorded at least 13,686 cases as of April 12, 2020, with 744 deaths and 2,283 cured.
