Africa has been "gravely affected" by the global economic downturn and its growth rate will halve this year due to collapsing commodity prices and a decline in donor funding, a new report has said. The 2009 African Economic Outlook finds that after half a decade of above 5 percent economic growth, the continent can expect only 2.8 percent growth in 2009. The annual report covers 47 of the 53 African countries and is a key document that influences government policy and donor spending.