THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: A THREAT TO HEALTH AND ECONOMIC STABILITY IN SUB- SAHARA AFRICA

Economic growth is mostly determined by improvements in health; nevertheless, the degree of poverty in any given nation influences how health affects economic growth. Thus, this study looked at how health affected economic growth during the coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa and what health was needed to mitigate the negative impact of poverty on economic growth in 20 (20) chosen Sub-Saharan African nations. The GMM analysis technique was used to assess the relationship between life expectancy, poverty incidence, and economic growth based on the endogenous growth theoretical approach. Results indicated the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic on household welfare, unemployment, and health conditions, as well as the detrimental influence of poverty on economic growth in Nigeria. Even though government spending rose dramatically during this time in an attempt to contain the pandemic, household welfare declined and was adversely impacted by the high poverty rate. This paper suggested that the governments of Sub-Saharan nations diversify their economies to lessen the impact of the pandemic's unprecedented shock, provide sufficient relief supplies to lessen the impact of income loss on the poor and vulnerable and invest in the health sector to control infectious and pandemic diseases.