WASHINGTON 10 Apr (ANA) - Sub-Saharan Africa will this year suffer its first recession for 25 years as a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak, a World Bank report predicts.

In a grim assessment, the bank says that the region's economy could shrink by as much as 5.1%.

It points to the impact that the virus will have on Africa's key trading partners as well as a fall in commodity prices as the main causes.

Several African countries are using lockdowns to control the virus' spread.

These will also negatively affect economic growth.

There are currently more than 11,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and there have been more than 570 confirmed deaths across Africa.

South Africa, one of the continent's largest economies, has been the worst hit and is about to enter the third week of a strict lockdown.(ANA)

FA/ANA/10 April 2020--------