Newly updated records show that over 200,000 people have died from Covid-19 in Africa since the start of the pandemic.

Africa, home to more than 1.3 billion people in 54 countries has recorded a total of 200,254 deaths from December 2019 to September 2021. While worldwide toll totals at more than 4.57 million deaths.

After several deadly months, including some 27,000 deaths in July and 26,000 in August, the pandemic appears to be easing on the continent in September with current daily figures of 617 compared to as many as 990 in late July.

These figures are based on reports communicated by local centres for disease control and the WHO. However, the total number of infections and deaths are also likely to be underestimated, given insufficient testing capacities in Africa.

“It’s probably a lot higher than that,” said researcher Glenda Davidson of the South Africa’s Cape Peninsula University of Technology. “Testing resources are very low on the continent.”

Death registration processes were often delayed and inaccurate, she added.