Given local conditions in many of Africa's urban areas - including high density slums and informal settlements - lockdown strategies are proving to be unworkable.
The potential is there, but strong research institutions and systems are needed to activate this advantage to inform timely local, national and global responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Understanding the extent of the spread of COVID-19 within urban and rural Africa can also help with the adaptation of policy responses to a specific setting.
In the long term, we must be better prepared to deal with future pandemics, and that preparation needs to start with a re-assessment of how we invest in and support local research and service delivery institutions across Africa.
This article draws on contributions to Drexel University's Webinar on "The Global Impact of Pandemics"; the African Development Bank's Global Community of Practice Webinar on "Enhancing Resilience in African Economies: Macro-Economic Policy Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa"; and the Think-20 Engagement Group and Global Solutions Summit Panel on "The Social and Economic Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Risks and Opportunities for the Global South".
