Coronavirus. Africa still has time to avoid the worst
Well-being — di Andrea Barolini
The WHO explains that in Africa the coronavirus epidemic is still manageable. But should it explode, the continent's healthcare systems will not be able to cope.
Coronavirus. Africa still has time to avoid the worst
The WHO explains that in Africa the coronavirus epidemic is still manageable. But should it explode, the continent's healthcare systems will not be able to cope.
"When a country is at risk today, the whole world is at risk. This is because of interconnections, the movement of people, globalisation." Ibrahima Socé Fall, deputy director-general of the World Health Organization, has sounded the alarm in the face of the emergency linked to the spread of coronavirus. The epidemic must be prevented at all costs from spreading to the Global South — that is, to nations whose healthcare systems are not equipped to deal with an emergency of this magnitude.
"Africa should wake up, my continent should wake up"
Ethiopian WHO boss tells Africa to prepare for the worst bbc.in/2WmXUzb
Ethiopian WHO boss tells Africa to prepare for the worst bbc.in/2WmXUzb
Around 600 cases in Africa so far, across 34 of 54 nations
The official's concern is directed in particular at African nations. In an interview given to UN News, Socé Fall — a Senegalese physician — explained that coronavirus can spread in any climate, including at warmer and more humid latitudes. "African countries must prepare. And to do so they must strengthen their healthcare systems, in line with the standards required by the International Health Regulations. We need to be able to respond to an epidemic context," the official stressed.
For now, there are approximately 600 cases in Africa. However, coronavirus has already struck 34 of the continent's 54 countries. And, according to experts, a nation such as Somalia risks a situation worse than that seen in China. The first deaths have been recorded in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Burkina Faso. "For now," Socé Fall added, "the epidemic is only just beginning. In Africa, the recorded cases are imported, particularly from Europe. Some clusters are emerging in certain nations, but these are limited cases. The problem is that in the event of sustained transmission, as in Italy for example, African healthcare systems will not be able to cope. We cannot afford to reach that stage."
Comme toute l’Afrique, le #Maghreb se prépare au pire et verrouille ses frontières pour endiguer l’essor du #coronavirus. D’autant plus que #Maroc, #Algérie et #Tunisie connaissent les défaillances de leur système de santé, en crise depuis des années. bit.ly/2J06qfv
"Test all suspected cases now, or it will be too late"
The concern is not only about the risk of being unable to treat the sick. It is also about being unable to identify infected individuals. For this reason, the WHO recommends testing all suspected cases — the number of which is still manageable today. And doing so now: "We have a window available to contain the epidemic," the deputy director-general of the United Nations body emphasises. Losing it, according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, could mean the death of millions of people.