REPORT OF AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF AFRICA MINISTERS OF HEALTH ON 22 February 2020 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

In January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), following the rapid increase in confirmed cases globally.
To date, COVID-19 has resulted in 80,000+ confirmed cases, 2,700+ deaths in 27+ countries globally. While there is only one confirmed case in Africa so far, COVID-19 poses a great threat to the continent given Africa’s close linkages with China and its relatively fragile health systems.