African ministers and officials have requested the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to combat poverty in the post-Covid-19 period.

Attendees at the 4th Session of the Committee on Social Policy, Poverty, and Gender stated it is vital to develop a policy that guarantees continuous support to lessen the vulnerability of African economies as the continent overcomes the Covid-19 sickness.

The UNECA-organized meeting, which was held under the banner “Better progress towards an inclusive and resilient future in the context of Covid-19”, was also favorable to promoting initiatives to empower women.

During the two-day conference, UNECA, located in Addis Abeba, reported on its activities in the previous biennium linked to gender equality and other challenges, such as access to basic services.

According to official statistics, 431 million Africans live in poverty, but according to UNECA, this figure might rise even higher if no measures targeted at mitigating the economic repercussions of Covid-19 are implemented.