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 by the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The country possesses merely four ventilators and 24 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for its entire population.

Also see: Are there nations untouched by coronavirus?

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso has 11 ventilators, Sierra Leone 13, while Central African Republic has 3 ventilators for a population of 32 million, and 90 per cent of 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-19 cases have topped 2.2 million globally and countries around the world are scrambling to buy life-saving equipment as the pandemic places unprecedented demand on hospitals.

Also read: Over 81,000 people across the world test positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours

With healthcare systems buckling under the pressure of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 155,000 people experts 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.