Africa CDC's response to COVID-19
Africa CDC began preparations to respond to potential outbreaks in early 2020 by readying Emergency Operations centre for COVID-19. Weekly coordination meetings were conducted with regional collaborating centres and national level public health organization. In February 2020 Africa CDC adopted the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 which was approved by African Union Heads of State and Government. This strategy required reviewing evidence and practices in response to COVID and implementing them into health policies and framework in public health action to mitigate spread of COVID-19. In February 2020, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided 20 million USD to strengthen the efforts of emergency centres and in April the African Union COVID-19 response fund to support Africa CDC in public health efforts was announced (Loembe et al. 2020).
Africa CDC also launched efforts to support fragile healthcare systems that faced difficulty navigating the influx of patients due to COVID-19 amidst a lack of PPE and other medical supplies . In light of the challenges that countries faced with acquiring testing kits, and supplies at fair prices (due to the global demand and disruption in supplies) the African Union created Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) overseen partially by the Africa CDC. The AMSP is an online store which aims to address the shortages in medical supplies and ensure that commodities are available at fair and fixed prices. The Africa Export-Import Bank will provide loans and oversee payments to member states and national partners will run delivery. The formation of an online site such as AMSP provides support to existing fragile healthcare systems within certain African countries to tackle the influx of COVID-19 patients. (Wadvalla, 2020)
These efforts undertaken by Africa CDC enabled public health organizations to be better informed and accounts for Africa’s preparedness of COVID-19 before cases were reported.
Africa CDC also launched efforts to support fragile healthcare systems that faced difficulty navigating the influx of patients due to COVID-19 amidst a lack of PPE and other medical supplies . In light of the challenges that countries faced with acquiring testing kits, and supplies at fair prices (due to the global demand and disruption in supplies) the African Union created Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) overseen partially by the Africa CDC. The AMSP is an online store which aims to address the shortages in medical supplies and ensure that commodities are available at fair and fixed prices. The Africa Export-Import Bank will provide loans and oversee payments to member states and national partners will run delivery. The formation of an online site such as AMSP provides support to existing fragile healthcare systems within certain African countries to tackle the influx of COVID-19 patients. (Wadvalla, 2020)
These efforts undertaken by Africa CDC enabled public health organizations to be better informed and accounts for Africa’s preparedness of COVID-19 before cases were reported.
COVID-19 cases
Nature Medicine: Loembe et al 2020. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0961-x
Early in 2020, countries in Africa prepared for cases of COVID-19 with Egypt, Algeria and South Africa identified as being most at risk, The first case was reported in Egypt in February 2020, and by the end of March many other countries also reported their first cases of COVID-19. During this period African Union Member States from north African countries reported the highest number of cases. In response to the growing number of cases in other regions, many African countries implement a travel band from most Asian and European countries and implemented quarantine periods for travellers in March 2020. The WHO reported a lack of resources and healthcare facilities in African countries needed to tackle the increase in COVID-19 cases: i.e. only 2000 ventilators across 41 countries in 5000 beds across 43 countries or available (Wadvalla, 2020). This shortage of PPE and other medical supplies was exacerbated by the reduction of imported medical commodities and supplies from border closures (Loembe et al. 2020). Based on Africa CDC statistics, as of February 2021 approximately 3.8 million cases of COVID-19 and 100,000 deaths had been reported across the region since the beginning of the pandemic. The case fatality rate for Africa increased from 2.4% to 2.6% which is higher than the global case vitality average. This likely reflects lower testing rates than in other regions. |
Africa CDC challenges in face of COVID-19
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Despite the strides made in preparedness and organization to tackle COVID-19 challenges remain; these include full implementation of public health measures, policies, and action in order to enable a full reopening of the economy. Most countries across the world are struggling with balancing the needs of the economy with the public’s health in order to optimize outcomes. According to the UN easy for Africa (United Nations Economic Commission) there has been a drop in economic growth from 3.2% to 1.8% since the onset of the pandemic. Another ongoing challenge that predates the onset of the COVID-19 relates to poor sanitary conditions of urban slums in much of Africa. Overcrowding and lack of sanitation amongst urban poor creates challenges in physical distancing, hygiene measures, isolation for those infected, and contact tracing which are the main components advised in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect people (Loembe et al. 2020). In sum, African Union Member States, with Africa CDC’s support, must find solutions that protect households financially and support the economy while intensifying health measures to slow the progression of COVID-19 cases (Loembe et al. 2020). |
COVID-19 AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINATIONS
The Africa CDC’s recently developed project as a result of COVID-19 has been to vaccinate millions of people across the continent. Africa CDC’s measurements of providing diagnostic equipment and lab tech training has enabled an increase in testing however, challenges still remain with combatting COVID-19. According to the director of Africa CDC vaccinations have already begun in Morocco and Egypt and about to commence in South Africa. 270 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been procured and will soon be used to vaccinate frontline health care workers (Ighobor, 2021).
The strategy undertaken for vaccination involves three main components: acquisition of vaccines, coordinating trials across Africa, and establishment of Delivery Alliance. Currently guidelines on vaccine rollout are still being developed in African countries and must be contextualized based on country specific requirements. The target, according the Africa CDC director, is to vaccinate 60% of the continent’s population by the end of 2021 (Ighobor, 2021). To ensure that vaccines are available for lower-income countries, the COVAX initiative is helping distribute and subsidize vaccines, which require countries to secure promissory notes (Ighobor, 2021). At the moment however, Africa CDC still faces challenges in building workforce capacity due to its relatively new role in African public health. Africa CDC must support various countries but is not a national organization thus requires a large institutional capacity; one which it is still trying to build (Ighobor, 2021). In order to support and empower Africa CDC, some argue it needs legal and operational autonomy to execute its agenda away from the African Union and grow as its own institution (Ordu, 2020).
The strategy undertaken for vaccination involves three main components: acquisition of vaccines, coordinating trials across Africa, and establishment of Delivery Alliance. Currently guidelines on vaccine rollout are still being developed in African countries and must be contextualized based on country specific requirements. The target, according the Africa CDC director, is to vaccinate 60% of the continent’s population by the end of 2021 (Ighobor, 2021). To ensure that vaccines are available for lower-income countries, the COVAX initiative is helping distribute and subsidize vaccines, which require countries to secure promissory notes (Ighobor, 2021). At the moment however, Africa CDC still faces challenges in building workforce capacity due to its relatively new role in African public health. Africa CDC must support various countries but is not a national organization thus requires a large institutional capacity; one which it is still trying to build (Ighobor, 2021). In order to support and empower Africa CDC, some argue it needs legal and operational autonomy to execute its agenda away from the African Union and grow as its own institution (Ordu, 2020).
References
- Ighobor, K. (2021, February 5). Africa CDC: There is a Continental plan to VACCINATE millions of AFRICANS | Africa Renewal. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/february-2021/covid-19-we-have-plan-vaccinate-millions-africans
- Ordu, A. (2020, April 15). The coming of age of the AFRICA centers for Disease Control. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/04/15/the-coming-of-age-of-the-africa-centers-for-disease-control/
- Wadvalla, B. (2020, July 16). How Africa has Tackled covid-19. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2830.full
- Inc., R. (2021, February 18). Africa COVID-19 deaths Near 100,000 after second WAVE: The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/world/africa-covid-19-deaths-near-100000-after-second-wave-553803/
- Loembé, M., Tshangela, A., Salyer, S., Varma, J., Ouma, A., & Nkengasong, J. (2020, June 11). COVID-19 in AFRICA: The spread and response. Retrieved February 19, 2021, from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0961-x
- image: The race against Covid: children run past a mural featuring the coronavirus in the Kibera settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. The country’s total death toll stands at just over 1,800. Photograph: Brian Inganga/AP