The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on Coronavirus affected countries to work with speed in dealing with the virus.
Briefing the media on Thursday, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made a clarion call to countries to act with speed and for governments to show determination.
The Coronavirus death toll, as of Thursday, stands at 3 281, with a total of 95 265 reported cases of COVID-19 globally.
On Thursday, South African Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced the first positive case of the Coronavirus in the country.
The patient is a 38-year-old male, who travelled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on 1 March 2020.
On Thursday, China reported 143 new cases. Most cases continue to be reported from Hubei province, and eight provinces have not reported any cases in the last 14 days.
Outside China, 2 055 cases were reported in 33 countries. Around 80% of those cases continue to come from just three countries.
“We are calling on every country to act with speed, scale and clear-minded determination.
“Although we continue to see the majority of cases in a handful of countries, we are deeply concerned about the increasing number of countries reporting cases, especially those with weaker health systems,” Ghebreyesus said.
Concern countries not taking COVID-19 seriously
Ghebreyesus said the solution to beat the epidemic is aggressive preparedness.
“We’re concerned that some countries have either not taken this seriously enough, or have decided there’s nothing they can do.
“We are concerned that in some countries, the level of political commitment and the actions that demonstrate that commitment do not match the level of the threat we all face,” he said.
Urging for swift action, WHO punted the importance of a coordinated approach by affected countries.
“These are plans that start with leadership from the top, coordinating every part of government, not just the health ministry – security, diplomacy, finance, commerce, transport, trade, information and more – the whole government should be involved,” said Ghebreyesus.
Funding to support affected countries
On funding to support affected countries, WHO said funding is being made available to support countries that need it.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have both made funds available to stabilise health systems and mitigate the economic consequences of the epidemic, with a special focus on enabling access to critical supplies and equipment.
“I also had a very fruitful discussion with the President of the African Development Bank.
“This is funding that is available now to countries who need it, in line with WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. These funds are essential for supporting the response now, but also for long-term preparedness,” said Ghebreyesus.
Although COVID-19 presents an acute threat now, Ghebreyesus said, it is absolutely essential that countries do not lose this opportunity to strengthen their preparedness systems.
Be safe, smart and informed
On Thursday, WHO launched a new social media campaign called ‘Be Ready for COVID-19’, which urges people to be safe, smart and informed.
“We know people are afraid, and that’s normal and appropriate. That fear can be managed and moderated with accurate information,” said Ghebreyesus.
The campaign calls for a stop in the spread of fake news and outlines steps to prevent the spread of the virus.
Steps to prevent infection and spread include: regular washing of hands with an alcohol based hand rub or wash them with water and soap, maintain a one metre distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing and sneezing, and ensure that surface are wiped and kept clean. – SAnews.gov.za
