Twenty-one African countries are reporting COVID-19 case fatality rates higher than the global average, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Friday.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Africa now stood at 105,001, the specialised healthcare agency of the 55-member AU said.

According to the centre, the number of African countries with case fatality rates higher than the global average of 2.2 per cent continues to increase.null

The top five African countries reporting higher case fatality rates are Sudan with 6.2 per cent; Egypt with 5.9 per cent; Mali and Liberia with 4.2 per cent each; and Zimbabwe with 4.1 per cent.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 3,937,028 on Friday morning, while some 3,512,473 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, the Africa CDC said.

Five countries accounted for 67 per cent of confirmed cases in Africa.null

They are South Africa, with 1,517,666 cases, representing 39 per cent; Morocco, 485,147 cases, 12 per cent; Tunisia, 235,643 cases, 6 per cent; Egypt, 184,755 cases, 5 per cent; and Ethiopia, 162,954 cases, four per cent.