Africa can mount a stronger COVID-19 response strategy by using regional trade blocs to coordinate, consolidate, and connect resources across the continent.
Furthermore, on a continent where it is estimated more than one-third of economic activity is informal, restrictive public health response measures such as extended lockdowns could result in enormous damage to livelihoods in many countries, with wider health implications than COVID-19.
The African Union has an opportunity to integrate its economic pillars into the Africa-wide response strategy by using Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the sub-regional blocs of African countries that have existed for decades.
The most established RECs include the Arab Magreb Union (UMA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Eastern African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
Given that the COVID-19 trajectory in Africa is likely still at the beginning, the time is now for governments to use the existing REC structure for sub-regional economic coordination to strengthen the continent's pandemic response strategy.
