21 African countries report COVID-19 fatality rates higher than global average

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

21 African countries are reporting COVID-19 case fatality rates higher than the global average, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Friday.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Africa now stood at 105,001, the specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU) said.

According to the Africa CDC, the number of African countries with case fatality rates higher than the global average of 2.2 percent continues to increase.

The top five African countries reporting higher case fatality rates are Sudan with 6.2 percent; Egypt with 5.9 percent; Mali and Liberia with 4.2 percent each; and Zimbabwe with 4.1 percent.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 3,937,028 on Friday morning, while some 3,512,473 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, the Africa CDC said.

Five countries accounted for 67 percent of confirmed cases in Africa. They are South Africa, with 1,517,666 cases, representing 39 percent; Morocco, 485,147 cases, 12 percent; Tunisia, 235,643 cases, 6 percent; Egypt, 184,755 cases, 5 percent; and Ethiopia, 162,954 cases, 4 percent. - Africa