The World Health Organization or WHO promised to support African Union Member States on corona virus preparedness and response strategy.
This came during WHO Health Ministers’ joint emergency meeting on the Coronavirus Disease Outbreak convened onFebruary 22 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa and Amira Elfadil, Commissioner for Social Affairs, African Union Commission welcomed the ministers.
WHO has conducted a survey with countries to assess their overall readiness and found the regional readiness level was an estimated 66 percent.
‘WHO finds there are critical gaps in readiness for countries across the continent,’ said Dr Moeti.
‘We need urgently to prioritize strengthening the capacities for countries to investigate alerts, treat patients in isolation facilities and improve infection, prevention and control in health facilities and in communities’, he stressed.
‘The threats posed by COVID-19 has cast a spotlight on the shortcomings in health systems in the African Region,’ said Dr Moeti.
‘Countries must invest in emergency preparedness. This investment is worthwhile when you consider the cost of responding to outbreaks, which for the 2014 Ebola outbreak was estimated at close to $US 3 billion’, he appealed.
African Health Ministers discussed a joint communiqué on how to prepare, potentially respond and expect to conclude their discussions in a few days.