On this edition of Africa 54, more than 2.6 million cases of the coronavirus have been reported worldwide; United Nations secretary-general warns the global coronavirus pandemic is quickly becoming a human rights crisis; The International Monetary Fund says it has approved 363-million dollars for the Democratic Republic of Congo, to battle the disease; Northern Nigerian governors say they will close disputed Islamic schools due to concerns over COVID-19; U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending for 60 days the issuance of permanent residency status, also known as green cards.
A54 Health: South Africa’s pharmacists are often overlooked as front-line healthcare workers in the fight against Africa’s worst outbreak of coronavirus, despite frequently being the first in contact with those showing symptoms. In the rural town of Mokopane, in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province, pharmacist Bronwyn van Heerden and her colleagues provide medicine to hundreds of patients daily.