NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

By Kayode Babarinde

Compared to other continents, Africa has recorded fewer infections per million and lower mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite having a skeletal health system and a heavier health burden from malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, which currently take priority in budgets.

Some suggest the answer to this lies in the demography of the continent – Africa’s median age is 19-20, far lower than the aging populations of Europe and America. Africa’s youth are particularly receptive to new technologies when they can access them. Thus, embracing new technologies and the possibilities of blockchain could help in managing the COVID-19 pandemic and other pandemics that might occur in future, through the enhancement of the public health system with distributed ledger technologies.

Photo courtesy of romanakr.