PANDEMIC ECONOMICS - Uwem Essia - Bog

COVID 19 is a pandemic like no other; unprecedented, unpredictable, and devastating yet yielding enormous opportunities for disruptive innovational thinking. Despite its poor health emergency preparedness, and challenges of poverty and food insecurity, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) generally suffers fewer COVID deaths compared to the advanced countries¿ regions. Essentially, the traditional African diet has more micronutrient-rich vegetables, herbs, spices, and fruits that are immune-boosting. Moreover, the SSA population commonly suffers malaria and typhoid fever attacks, which are treated regularly with the so-called Dr. Didier¿s dual therapy. Perhaps the long-term use of the dual therapy and the dietary habits of most SSA people render them more immune to COVID 19.While the world should learn from Africa, governments and businesses in the continent should modernize African Traditional Medicine (ATM) and propagate herbal food and medicinal materials. The World Health Organization should unbiasedly investigate the reported successes of ATM remedies for the treatment of COVID and other ailments, and the global community should help incorporate ATM into the mainstream healthcare mix.