The spread of COVID-19 poses a challenge for emerging markets such as those in Africa and Latin America. While governments around the world are suffering from a shortage of ventilators, hospital beds, and personal protective equipment, availability of these items is already extremely limited in some countries. In Africa, countries including Mali, Liberia, and Burkina Faso have only a few ventilators available to aid their populations, and there is also a lack of reliable oxygen supplies, ICUs, and healthcare workers to treat the sick. Additionally, many countries in Africa are already suffering from food insecurity and weak economies, which will worsen the long-term effects of coronavirus.

While some governments in Africa have been proactive about lockdowns in order to prevent the virus from quickly spreading through densely populated areas, coronavirus is already present in many African nations, and there is a fear that the worst is yet to come. As seen following the West African Ebola crisis, a health crisis such as coronavirus hitting vulnerable populations can result in devastating effects for both development and consumerism.
Keeping these factors in mind, GeoPoll conducted a remote study in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa on the effects coronavirus is already having on people throughout the region. The impact of the virus will have broad-reaching implications across all sectors, and while we could not cover every relevant topic in this study, we sought to use our experience conducting research for both international development groups and the consumer sector to include a wide range of topics. Areas that are covered in this study include:

Biggest concerns and perceptions of risk surrounding coronavirus
Preventative measures such as social distancing and handwashing practices
Changes in food market operability and food security
Changes in consumer habits, including purchasing of food and nonessential items
Levels of trust in governments and the commercial sector
Information sources on COVID-19 and changes in media consumption

We plan to run this study on an ongoing basis to see how perceptions and reactions to coronavirus, as well as consumer behavior and food availability, change over time.