COVID-19 Situation Report No. 7 for UNFPA West and Central Africa

Regional Highlights

• The total number of COVID-19 positive cases has reached over 216,970 in all 23 countries in West and Central Africa, four months after the first case was reported in Nigeria. By the end of August, there were 3,388 deaths, a mortality rate of about 1.6%. About 15.2% of patients were still under treatment, while 84.2% had recovered.
• The pandemic continues to spread. Five countries with highest confirmed caseloads include: Nigeria (55,160), Ghana (44,777), Cameroon (19,848), Côte d'Ivoire (18,701) and Senegal (13,987).
• Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe have the highest percentage of recovery, 97.5% and 95.4% respectively, while Chad and Liberia have the highest case fatality rates, 7.6% and  6.3%.
• Health worker infections continue to increase gradually with 8,042 infections reported in 22 WCA countries since the beginning of the outbreak. Ghana remains the most affected, with 2,065 health workers infected, followed by Nigeria (2,025), Cameroon (803), Equatorial Guinea (429), Senegal (349), Guinea-Bissau (268) and Guinea (244). 
• UNFPA supports continuity of SRH and GBV services with 16,458 safe deliveries recorded in UNFPA-supported facilities in Benin, Togo, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Over 111,964 women and youth utilised integrated SRH services in UNFPA-supported facilities in the region; 2,960 contact-tracers were trained and deployed: 2,254 women and girls subjected to violence, including those with disabilities, accessed essential services (health, social, police and justice).