The study seeks to provides content for the development and implementation of an African Union integrated framework on the governance response to disaster management, including governance of public health crises. Specifically, the study seeks to examine Africa’s governance response to the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, (herein referred as COVID-19 or the pandemic) within the framework of disaster management. The study, essentially, undertakes this assessment building on the four areas mapped out in the Preliminary Study on Africa’s Governance Response to COVID-19; legal and institutional mechanisms; disease prevention and containment measures; social and humanitarian measures; and economic and fiscal measures. The study framework is thus derived from the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) framework, the World Health Organisation (WHO) international regulations for health on the health governance dimensions of Agenda 2063, UN SDGs, AGDEC and the APRM governance framework.

Disaster risk governance at the national, regional and global levels is of great importance for an effective and efficient management of disaster risk. Clear vision, plans, competence, guidance and coordination within and across sectors, as well as participation of relevant stakeholders, are needed. Strengthening disaster risk governance for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation is therefore necessary and fosters collaboration and partnership across mechanisms and institutions for the implementation of instruments relevant to disaster risk reduction and sustainable development1.

The operational definition of governance employed in this paper was conceived by the Commission on Global Governance (1995), governance is the sum of the many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs. It is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and cooperative action may be taken. It includes formal institutions and regimes empowered to enforce compliance, as well as informal arrangements that people and institutions either have agreed to or perceive to be in their interest2.