Special drawing rights need to be allocated to African countries - The global community should use newly allocated special drawing rights to help African families recover stronger, smarter, sustainably and more equitably
Global vaccine inequity has meant that while citizens in some parts of the world are lining up for a third Covid-19 booster shot, just 5% of Sub-Saharan Africans have been protected against the virus.
Access to vaccines is not the only inequity. Children and their families in sub-Saharan Africa are paying a much heftier price from the secondary effects of the pandemic. Without additional support, the economic and social outlook for the region remains dire. Average incomes in sub-Saharan Africa arewhile the risk of deepening and widening inequalities increases every day. Whether it be growing poverty, lost learning or rising hunger, illness and violence, children are the biggest victims. And the implications spread far beyond the continent’s borders: the effects of a lingering virus areExtraordinary times call for extraordinary responses.
Nowhere is an adjustment more important than in sub-Saharan Africa. The economic crisis caused by Covid-19 — along with climate shocks, conflict and disrupted social services — have created a perfect storm.