This country has only four ventilators for its population of 12 million people

South Sudan has just four ventilators for its population of 12 million people as per the data has been revealed bythe International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The country possessesmerelyfour ventilators and 24 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for itsentire population.

Also see: Are there nations untouched by coronavirus?

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Meanwhile,Burkina Faso has 11 ventilators, Sierra Leone 13, whileCentral African Republic has 3ventilators for a population of 32 million, and 90 per centof hospitals face shortages of medicine and critical supplies, the non-governmental organization says.

Also see:Struggle, fear and heartbreak for medical staff on coronavirus frontline

Covid-19cases have topped 2.2 million globally and countries around the world are scrambling to buy life-saving equipmentas the pandemic placesunprecedented demand on hospitals.

With healthcare systems buckling under the pressure of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 155,000 peopleexperts warn coronavirus could devastate the countries that lack healthcare equipment and infrastructure.

There are fewer than 2,000 functional ventilators in 41 African countries, according to the WHO, while the total number of available intensive care unit beds in 43 countries on the continent is less than 5,000.

This is about five beds per 1 million people, compared to 4,000 beds per 1 million people in Europe, the WHO reported last week.

Case numbers in Africa are relatively low, but the high prevalence of tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and diabetes are cause for concern.

While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, the number of infections has grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread, according to WHO.