Africa-CDC steps up response to coronavirus

The Africa Center for Disease Control, or Africa-CDC, has said it is sending more than 100 experts across the continent and thousands of test kits to 43 countries to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

Addressing the media during his fourth press briefing on the coronavirus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday, Africa-CDC Director John Nkengasong said that by March 23, they will have sent out 60,000 kits. However, he raised concerns the situation in Africa might get worse.

"The situation will get worse before it gets better, because chances are people have slipped through undetected and that becomes a source of amplifying the outbreak," Nkengasong said.

Pointing to the dangerous nature of the pandemic, Nkengasong said the number of African countries with confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus has dramatically increased in less than a week.

"Over the last weekend the continent tipped over and as we now know, over 34 countries have reported coronavirus infection. In Africa we now have around 640 confirmed cases coming from the 34 countries," Nkengasong said. "The death count in Africa is currently 16 from five countries. Those 16 deaths are distributed among Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Morocco and Sudan."

In laying out the approach by the Africa-CDC to combat the rising numbers of infections on the continent, Nkengasong said Africa-CDC is focusing on three key areas: cooperation, collaboration and communication across member states.

Nkengasong said measures taken by the Africa-CDC so far include providing regular updates through the Africa Union channels, including the formation of several social media and WhatsApp groups to share timely information with member countries and journalists.

Africa-CDC also said it has published a guidance document on community social distancing, availed a list of response emergency numbers used by member states and it continues to purchase test kits and other medical items needed for emergency response including personal protective equipment, thermal scanners and other critical medical supplies.

"We have trained hundreds of representatives of member states in enhanced surveillance, infection prevention and control and risk communication, as well as case management. This is in addition to the webinar series about diagnosis and treatment of the coronavirus in Africa being conducted by the Africa-CDC Institute for Workforce Development. So far, hundreds of people have joined online for training in English and in French," Nkengasong said.

He added despite travel restrictions rising across the continent, they had reached an agreement with member states to have Ethiopian Airlines help distribute the supplies across the continent.