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Updated July 21st, 2021 at 14:19 IST

How did Niger avoid COVID? Reasons why citizens of the country 'still live like its 2019'

Due to several reasons like climate, connectivity and the age of their population, Niger has largely avoided any major outbreaks and even sent out vaccines

Reported by: Aayush Anandan
Coronavirus
Image: Shutterstock | Image:self
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Niger’s main coronavirus ward has been unused for months and the isolation centres are empty. No one wears mask anymore and sometimes weeks go without a single person testing positive for COVID-19. The demand for vaccines is so feeble that Niger has sent a huge chunk of supply abroad. Niger was declared as one of the most vulnerable countries to the coronavirus pandemic. The country has one of the highest poverty rates.

Africa as a continent had done well until the new variants disrupted their peaceful existence, but Niger has a host of reasons protecting it from the virus. The country has its own problems with its economy and political instability. Being at the southern tip of the Sahara Desert, it is comparatively warmer and drier than other African countries. This could be one reasons for the non-existence of coronavirus cases as high temperatures avoid people from gathering and it encourages them to stay inside. The settlements across Niger have no connectivity and it is very difficult to travel within the country. This meant that it was difficult for the disease to spread. Niger also has the world’s youngest population and it makes it easier for them to naturally fight the virus.

There are no restrictions and businesses are flourishing as a result. After a year of struggle, they are finally making a profit. Even though unvaccinated countries pose a threat due to the virus but Sani Issoufou, the oil minister said, “Here, we still live like it’s 2019.''

Numbers behind Niger

Niger is geographically twice as big as Texas and has a bigger population than New York. Still, the country only posted just 194 deaths and less than 5,500 Covid-19 cases since the first cases were recorded in March 2020. These numbers are nothing when compared to other countries with a similar population. Back in May, Niger decided to send 100,000 Astraz=Zaneca vaccines to Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast has approximately the same population as Niger with 24 million people but due to being smaller geographically, the number of confirmed cases is at least ten times more.

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Published July 21st, 2021 at 14:19 IST

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