MISTRA’s Senior Researcher, Zamanzima Mazibuko and the Editor of the publication,  Epidemics and the Health of African Nations reflects on the corona virus and its impact on our overburdened health system.

In MISTRA’s recent book on epidemics and healthcare systems in Africa, authors warned that the top diseases likely to cause severe epidemics across the globe are so-called zoonotic diseases – ‘zoonotic’ refers to infections arising out of contact between animals and humans. Sadly, the coronavirus raising alarm around the world has proven that prediction right, with the WHO now declaring it a global emergency. What does it mean for us in South Africa?