Cooperation, Sant’Egidio Community Concerned About Drop in Aid for Africa

As celebrations for Africa Day were held during a particularly difficult situation for the continent, the Sant’Egidio Community expressed concern over the scaling down of aid to Africa.

Even though the spread of the coronavirus has been contained in Sub-Saharan Africa, the need to stay on high alert and intensify prevention activities is still imperative given the extremely fragile local healthcare facilities.

The Community expressed its concern for the drop in aid intended for cooperation by the northern hemisphere. If, faced with a pandemic, they cannot get through it alone, it is important to look out for Africa, currently struggling more than other continents with the effects of the economic crisis tied to the COVID-19.

Sant’Egidio renews its commitment for peace in Africa, a fundamental basis for any prospect of development, along with other initiatives carried out in various countries to protect the more fragile sectors of society like street children, thousands of homeless people, the elderly and prisoners who live in appalling circumstances.

There are two important programs in support of African populations: Dream, for the treatment of AIDS patients (operative in 10 countries, resulting in 500 thousand people receiving treatment and over 100 thousand healthy children born from HIV-positive mothers), that has also provided its experience and laboratories in response to the COVID-19; and Bravo!, birth registration for millions of “invisible” people.