This policy paper analyses the socio-economic and cultural impacts of the disease on Africa as a whole, caused by both the immediate effects and the present and future consequences of the pandemic, including on the African societal fabric, which is likely to lead to a fracture in the trust between States and their citizens and within communities themselves. As such, it highlights the main measures that were adopted by African countries to contain the crisis and its socio-economic and cultural effects. While committing to acting and reflecting on the present and future consequences of the pandemic, UNESCO aims to contribute substantially to the ongoing debates in Africa through the development of a strategic response to help the collective global and regional efforts against the pandemic.