From coronavirus to ‘hunger virus’: Mapping the urgency of social work response amid COVID-19 pandemic in Africa

Drawing on direct observation and interaction with regular citizens this article discusses the fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic in African countries. It notes that the global contagion has amplified the perennial but often overlooked social development problems within the region. It is proposed that ‘hunger virus’ will have as deadly an impact as COVID-19 unless urgent policy response is undertaken. Given the grievous fallouts of the pandemic on undervalued groups, strategies for social work intervention are explored.