Preparedness of Africa against Covid-19

NATIONAL NEWS - South Africa, together with Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia and Nigeria, are estimated to be at the highest risk of importation of Covid-19 from China.

This is according to a paper published today, Thursday 20 February, by The Lancet on "The preparedness and vulnerability of African countries against importations of Covid -19".

The research team assessed the risk of importation of cases of Covid -19 to Africa from affected provinces in China, and put it into context with how vulnerable each country is to epidemic emergencies and their capacity to respond. Their assessment is based on information around the large travel volumes from China, Africa's foremost commercial partner. The main airlines continue to fly between the two continents.

"Previous and current evidence indicates that realistic travel restrictions would have a limited effect in containing the epidemic and would delay the risk that the outbreak extends to new countries by only a few weeks. Travel or trade restrictions are not currently recommended by WHO (World Health Organisation)," the paper reads.

According to the paper, although several measures have been implemented by African countries to prevent and control possible cases arriving from China, the ability to limit and control local transmission depends on the implementation of strict measures of detection, prevention, and control.

"Our results should be interpreted carefully. The overall risk of importation to Africa is lower than that to Europe (1% vs 11%, respectively, according to our estimates on the current situation), but response and reaction capacity are also lower."

'Some countries ill-equipped'

"Some countries remain ill-equipped. Some are without the diagnostic capacity for rapid testing for the virus; thus, if cases are imported, tests will need to be done abroad, which might critically increase the delay from identification of suspected cases to their confirmation and isolation, affecting possible disease transmission.

"WHO is currently supporting countries to improve their diagnostic capacity. In the African region, this capacity has now expanded from just two referral laboratories to a larger set of countries, and is expected to continue to increase in the upcoming weeks. The capacity of these laboratories is still limited by the shortage of personnel trained to run the tests, and inadequate stock of materials needed to do these tests.

"In the African region, resources to set up quarantine rooms for suspected cases at airports and hospitals, or to trace contacts of confirmed cases, as recommended by WHO, might be scarce. 74% of countries in Africa have an influenza pandemic preparedness plan; however, most are outdated (prior to the 2009 influenza A H1N1 pandemic) and considered inadequate to deal with a global pandemic."

'Rapid saturation of hospital capacity'

"The epidemic in China highlights the rapid saturation of the hospital capacity if the outbreak is not contained. Increasing the number of available beds and supplies in resource-limited countries is crucial in preparation for possible local transmission following importation. National public health capabilities and infrastructures remain at the core of global health security, because they are the first line of defence in infectious disease emergencies.

"Crisis management plans should be ready in each African country; involvement of the international community should catalyse such preparedness. Our findings should help to inform urgent prioritisation for intensified support for preparedness and response in specific African countries found to be at moderate to high risk of importation of Covid-19 and with relatively low capacity to manage the health emergency."

WHO assistance to African countries

The WHO states on its website that the regional office for Africa is supporting its 47 member states to prepare for a potential case of Covid-19 in several ways. Experts have been dispatched to countries believed to be at higher risk of an outbreak to assist with case management, surveillance and early detection. It is also working to increase the capacity of national laboratories to detect Covid-19 by supplying reagents, testing equipment and training for staff. Essential personal protective equipment has also been dispatched by WHO to some countries in Africa.

No confirmed cases in South Africa

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in an update yesterday, 19 February, said there have not been any confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa. It has tested 95 people of whom 53 were persons under investigation as of 19 February, and all results have come back negative.