Shaping Africa’s Urban areas to Withstand Future Pandemics

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The development of urban areas comes from the interactions between firms, markets and the people. They are center of business and social interactions. But when a crisis happen, cities are the first place where misfortunes starts. The high population in the cities make it easy spread of disease –for example the fast spread of Covid-19.

The urban cities by definition are largely populated, for example Lagos hosting up to 21.0 million people. The cities host government main offices, regional and global networks. And important infrastructural features like airports, ports and other means of transport. As such, the rate of spread of COVID-19 within them has shoot to far huge numbers.

The Crowd in African urban areas

Many African cities with the bug numbers by far contributed too many spread of coronavirus. And if no mitigation measures are taken this could be more fatally. For instance, in the slum following the health guidelines of washing hands is a problem. There is not enough water, water is bought and with big number of families; it is totally hard to maintain the safety rules.

Research has it that only 2/3rds of the Nairobi population lives on only 6percent of its land. In Kampala, Uganda about 71 percent of households sleep in a single room. These urban areas have very few services. Across the whole sub-Saharan urban population, only about 56 percent has piped water. And the water is not consistent for the families. With this situations, when the health officers say, constantly wash your hands it can’t work! There is more that is needed to be done to make living in these areas bearable and able to fight any future pandemic.

Economic hardships from the coronavirus lockdowns

Given that the urban areas are major economic centers they will be badly hit by the current lockdowns.

The urban residents working in the informal sector will be the first and potentially hard hit. Many of the people here do not receive reported wage from work. And in many African cities the majority earn form their informal hassles. For example selling or providing manual labor in the cities.

Even though they are working their earnings are relatively low. Hand to mouth lifestyle. A survey conducted on informal sectors in Kampala records 93 percent of the population operate below the poverty line. Now, what will happen after the lockdown? As at now the current situation is unbearable for them. No food, no enough water; the very basics that man depends on.

Reshaping the future

Cities across the world with history have adapted and stood strong in times of crisis and disasters. Economic experts are saying that cities in the US will come out to be reshaped and smartest in handling future pandemics. From the adoption of work from home mechanism by employers.

In Africa cities, that is not the same story as the nature of jobs is different making work from home hard to adopt. And instead, after the pandemic, many will leave their rural areas to the cities in search of jobs.

Proper urban management can be a critical need to provide the engine to ramping up national economic growth. The idea is to make cities safer for productive investment in infrastructure, focusing on improved health. Giving high priority in providing water and sewage infrastructure. And developing high tech machines in the health facilities.

Putting adequate funds to deal with pandemics. African has adequate resource and with enough and proper exploration of the rich African land; Africa can never lack. The need to feed the nation’s population should be a priority. And ultimately plan on a major central role of having professionals in the public health working alongside planners, economists. A strategic and planned Africa will survive.

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