The global health crisis is expected to drive a 3.3% contraction in sub-Saharan African economies in 2020.

That's according to the World Bank.

It says the downturn could push 40 million people into extreme poverty.

Even though the region appears to have so far escaped the worst of the health crisis, the Washington-based lender warned of the potential risks.

The World Bank said the disruption in the tourism industry and lockdowns will cause substantial slowdowns in Ethiopia, Kenya, and the region's island nations.

Economies which are not overly reliant on commodities, like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Senegal, will be spared steep contractions.

That's thanks to fairly robust outputs in their farming sectors.

The World Bank says governments in the region should take steps to boost their capacity to rebound from the impact of the crisis.

It expects growth to recover in 2021, with economies growing by 2.1%, though that would still be below the levels seen in 2019.