The spate of the outbreak on the continent still pales in comparison with Europe and Asia where cases now number in thousands. But while Africa’s lower rate of infections and fatalities has been subject to debate, experienced public health officials attribute it to African governments being proactive with cautionary measures especially in the wake of lessons from devastating Ebola outbreaks.

But regardless, there is still significant worry that a full-blown outbreak across African countries will have devastating effects given weaker and underfunded public health systems and infrastructure on the continent.

Sign up to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief here for news and analysis on African business, tech and innovation in your inbox 

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.