Working Paper

Analysis of the Effects of COVID-19 on the Trade, Transport and Health Sectors of Burundi

The pandemic has enormous economic and social consequences. The extent of these consequences in each country is related to its epidemiological situation (number of confirmed cases in relation to the total population), its initial economic situation, and the degree of openness of its economy to the international economy. On the healthcare system, the COVID-19 has overwhelmed the domestic health system and forced it to re-allocate the medical human resource to fight the pandemic. Transport has been the most hit and the passenger mobility restrained. As Falchetta and Noussa n (2020) reported, the demand of urban transport has plunged while the commercial aviation has fallen dramatically. In Burundi, the first impression was that the county is far away to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to mitigate the pandemic were sluggishly taken. Indeed, with an infection rate of 222 cases per million, Burundi is among the least infected countries. However, the second factor places the country at a high level of vulnerability, given that it is one of the five poorest countries in the world. The third factor is that the country’s economy is relatively closed and therefore less exposed to exogenous shocks, including the shock caused by COVID-19. This assertion certainly needs to be researched to determine its validity. This study attempts to fill this gap through a descriptive analysis. It aims, among other things, to measure the impact of this pandemic on trade and transport, and the health consequences.