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International trade is a determinative factor in reducing poverty and inequality, specifically through its role in stimulating job creation. Nevertheless, in several developing countries, international trade can lead to the destruction of jobs or the creation of less decent jobs, particularly for young people and women. The relationship between trade openness and employment has been widely discussed. Since the theories of Hecksher-Ohlin-Stolper-Samuelson and Viner, there has been no consensus regarding the effect of trade openness on job creation. While several

Background Most economies in African countries are informal. As such, households in these countries tend to face higher levels of informality coupled with a lack of social protection, and have no replacement income or savings in the event of unexpected external shocks, such as COVID-19. Thus, the COVID-19 shock and its negative economic effects triggered a cascade of income losses and bankruptcies that pushed a significant share of households in African countries into poverty. This research analyzes the effect of poverty on the spread of COVID-19 using a sample of 52 African countries. Methods To achieve the objective of this research, this paper uses a multiple linear regression model and a sample of 52 African countries observed in 2020 to conduct a cross-country analysis. More importantly, two COVID-19 indicators (total number of officially reported cases and disease severity) and six poverty indicators (average poverty, poverty incidence, poverty depth, poverty severity, multidimensional poverty index, and extreme poverty) were used in this research. Results The results show a positive and significant relationship between poverty and the spread of COVID-19. Conclusions These results suggest that more attention needs to be paid to poor populations in African countries during the pandemic. These populations are generally vulnerable, and there is a need for support programs targeting them to be put in place quickly. These programs may include food aid, distribution of supplies, health care support, fee waivers, and interest deferrals. In addition, sensitization of these disadvantaged groups on vaccination against COVID-19 to achieve herd immunity is strongly encouraged.

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