COVID-19 Exclusion, Policy Contagion, and Colonial Hangover in Africa

Abstract

African countries have experienced multiple consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic that extend beyond its immediate impact on human health. In Africa, much like elsewhere in the world, the pandemic has had a significant economic impact, leading to profound global economic distress. African countries have also experienced consequences that are unlike those of much of the rest of the world. The pandemic has contributed to a surge in sovereign debt defaults, including in Zambia in late 2020, Mali in early 2022, Ghana in late 2022, and Ethiopia in 2023. Travel bans and COVID-19 vaccine exclusion have also had a particular impact in Africa. The experiences of African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic highlight key consequences of colonial hangover and fundamental structural impediments and inequalities evident in global and local contexts.

Keywords: COVID-19, Africa, Zambia, Mali, pandemic, Ghana, Ethiopia, vaccine, travel ban, colonialism

JEL Classification: K1, K10, K19, K3, K30, K39, H51, I11, I14, I15