The COVID-19 pandemic in the Central African Republic began in March 2020, when the first case – a 74-year-old traveler returning from Italy – was confirmed on 14 March 2020en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. CAR was recognized as “one of the least prepared” countries in the world to cope with the pandemicaljazeera.com. It has only three ventilators for nearly five million peoplealjazeera.com, and conflicts since 2013 have severely weakened the health system. Early on, authorities feared the virus could “tear through” CAR at “lightning speed” without aidaljazeera.com. This article traces CAR’s experience from 2020–2022: key milestones (first cases, waves, vaccination), public-health responses, challenges, and international support.
Early Outbreak and Restrictions (2020)
CAR’s first COVID-19 case in mid-March 2020 triggered swift measures. In late March the government imposed strict controls: borders were closed to travelers from infected countries (except diplomats/NGO workers)ituc-africa.org, and Bangui’s airport was limited to humanitarian and cargo flightsituc-africa.org. All schools, universities, bars and clubs were shut, public gatherings limited to 15 people, and a nighttime curfew was put in placeituc-africa.orgaljazeera.com. Suspected cases were quarantined and confirmed patients isolated for treatmentituc-africa.org. In fact, CAR was among the first African countries to mandate face masks. With World Bank support, the “LONDO” project mobilized thousands of tailors to sew cloth masks locallyworldbank.org. Over 2.4 million masks were produced within months, giving two free masks to every citizen (see image)worldbank.org.
Local tailors in Bangui produce vibrant cloth masks for COVID-19 relief under the World Bank–backed LONDO projectworldbank.org.
Despite these efforts, case numbers climbed by mid-2020. CAR saw its first COVID-19 deaths in May 2020 (two patients)en.wikipedia.org. New infections surged in summer: 961 new cases in May, 2,734 in June, and a total of 4,608 by July 2020en.wikipedia.org. By the end of 2020, about 4,963 total cases and 63 deaths** were reporteden.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. Testing capacity was limited, and many experts feared undercounting. UNICEF noted that only 14 cases had been confirmed by late April 2020, likely far below the true spreadaljazeera.com.
2021: Vaccination Begins, Continued Waves
In 2021 the focus shifted to vaccination and containing new waves. In May 2021, CAR received 60,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX facility, and launched its vaccination campaign on 20 Mayen.wikipedia.org. However, uptake was slow due to hesitancy and logistical hurdles. By January 2022 only about 9% of the population was fully vaccinateddocumentsdelivered.com. Meanwhile, COVID-19 continued to spread: CAR recorded 7,200 new cases in 2021, bringing the cumulative total to around 12,163, and 38 more deaths (total 101)en.wikipedia.org. The WHO later estimated that, due to under-reporting, the true number of infections by end-2021 might have been on the order of 2.1 million (suggesting a far larger outbreak)en.wikipedia.org.
In early 2022 CAR experienced a third wave, driven by the Omicron variant. Case counts spiked: in the first week of January 2022 alone there were roughly 745 new cases – more than the total for all of December 2021 (674 cases)unicef.org. By the end of 2022 CAR’s official tally was 15,357 cases and 113 deathsen.wikipedia.org. Importantly, intensive vaccine drives between February and July 2022 dramatically improved coverage. An integrated polio–COVID immunization campaign helped triple full vaccination rates from 9% to 29% of the population (over 1.6 million people) by August 2022documentsdelivered.com. These gains, aided by community outreach to counter hesitancy, were a notable milestone in CAR’s responsedocumentsdelivered.com. COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central African
Healthcare Challenges and Humanitarian Context
The pandemic exposed CAR’s severe healthcare gaps. As of 2020 there was only one dedicated COVID-19 treatment center (14 beds) in the entire countryaljazeera.com. Nationally, there were only 3 ventilators and 1 oxygen concentrator to serve millionsaljazeera.com. Isolation facilities were essentially non-existentaljazeera.com. Even by April 2020, with only 14 confirmed cases, experts warned CAR could quickly be overwhelmedaljazeera.comaljazeera.com. Ordinary citizens faced mistrust and misinformation: surveys found many Central Africans doubted COVID-19 existed in CAR, or believed it was a government ployaljazeera.com. Compliance with measures was uneven, especially outside Bangui. Rebel-held regions (nearly 75% of territory) had virtually no enforcement of health rulesaljazeera.com.
Economically, lockdowns hit already fragile communities. Most Central Africans earn daily wages and live in poverty, so extended curfews and closures threatened food securityituc-africa.org. By mid-2020 UNICEF reported rising rates of malnutrition and disrupted education as schools stayed closed. Displacement due to conflict compounded the crisis: about 700,000 people were internally displaced by fighting, and over half the population relied on humanitarian aidaljazeera.comaljazeera.com. Thus the pandemic arrived amid an ongoing humanitarian emergency. The UN appealed for billions of dollars to fund both COVID relief and pre-existing needsaljazeera.com. COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central African
International Aid and Milestones
Despite these challenges, CAR’s pandemic response did see significant international support and key public-health achievements. Donor pledges arrived early: by April 2020 the EU had committed €30 million and the US $3 million in assistanceituc-africa.org. The World Bank approved a $7.5 million grant to supply test kits, PPE, water and hygiene supplies, and strengthen surveillanceituc-africa.org. The Central African Development Bank added funding (3 billion CFA francs, ~ $5M) for regional preparednessituc-africa.org. NGOs and UN agencies provided training and equipment: for example, WHO and UNICEF helped set up laboratories and train contact tracers in Bangui. Chinese billionaire Jack Ma donated tens of thousands of masks and test kits early onaljazeera.com, helping CAR augment its limited supplies.
The mask-making “LONDO” project stands out as a creative local response with international backing. This cash-for-work program trained 18,000 tailors to sew masks that met WHO standardsworldbank.org. Within months they produced millions of masks, protecting families and providing jobs during lockdown (see figure)worldbank.org. COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central African
Vaccination was another milestone. Despite slow start, CAR used every available avenue: COVAX doses in mid-2021en.wikipedia.org, followed by national campaigns and piggybacking on polio campaignsdocumentsdelivered.com. By mid-2022 nearly one-third of CAR’s population was fully vaccinated – a remarkable achievement in such a resource-limited settingdocumentsdelivered.com. This was made possible by WHO and EU-funded outreach and the involvement of community health workers.
COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central African
Summary and Call to Action
From 2020 through 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic in the Central African Republic played out under extraordinarily difficult conditions. The country’s first case in March 2020 was followed by rapid government action: lockdowns, mask mandates, and international assistance helped slow the spreadituc-africa.orgworldbank.org. Yet CAR’s weak health system and ongoing conflict meant the virus remained a severe threat. By late 2022 CAR had recorded over 15,000 cases and 113 deathsen.wikipedia.org, while the true toll was likely much higher. Crucially, though, key milestones were reached: local mask production, early vaccine shipments in 2021en.wikipedia.org, and a later surge to 29% vaccination coveragedocumentsdelivered.com.
Today CAR continues to rebuild its health capacity and learn from the pandemic. The experience underscores the need for sustained global support for fragile states – not just in emergencies, but in strengthening health systems for the future. We encourage readers to explore more on this topic: see our related posts on COVID-19 in Africa and public health in humanitarian settings. Join the discussion below or share this article to raise awareness of CAR’s ongoing challenges and resilience. COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central African
