South Africa continues to report the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the African continent.
Inadequate access to personal protective equipment or weak infection prevention and control measures raise the risk of health worker infection.
In East Africa, 92 per cent of working women are employed in the informal sector, heightening the risks they face of sexual exploitation and abuse due to economic vulnerability.
Reports of gender-based violence have increased. However, service providers are not always being recognized as essential workers and women’s organizations are underfunded.
The COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan is just 22 per cent funded. More resources are urgently needed to enable partners to scale-up their response.
