Different events, such as the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa and the rapid spread of other emerging viruses such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have exposed a series of limitations In the Global Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) plan. Coupled with the inadequate water supply, poor sanitation and weak sanitation infrastructure in various regions, including most African countries, this fact is even more serious. A group of researchers from the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva School of Medicine focused on the lack of IPC programs. The study shows some important facts about how hospitals and medical centers can become dangerous focal points for patients and medical staff during such outbreaks, rather than serving the community in a safe place where the disease should be controlled and treated.
The negative consequences of flawed IPC practices in the delivery of healthcare could harm hundreds of millions of patients worldwide. This analysis is also supported by evidence from other authors, who continue to inevitably criticize the health care system for showing poor performance or lack of IPC plans, and then propose some strategies to build a strong foundation to reduce the risks and risks of health care-related epidemics. spread. The situation in most African countries How to deal with pandemic infectious diseases and access to water, sanitation and personal hygiene Researchers working at the Community Health Institute of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, USA also highlighted the knowledge gaps, public health preparedness, and research priorities related to COVID-19 infection. Their research focuses on HIV/AIDS patients in Africa and how the emergence of the new virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, threatens the African public health system.
According to researchers, with the emergence of COVID-19, the challenges most African countries face during pre-existing epidemics, including the high incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS, have increased dramatically. The authors emphasized the evidence for the outcome of HIV/AIDS patients with lower CD4 cell counts during COVID-19 infection compared to individuals who have recovered immunity. In addition, they pointed out that HIV service delivery in most African countries has been disrupted and that this particular area of research needs to continue to be evaluated. Another compelling joint study proposed by researchers from the Joint Research Center of the European Commission in Italy and the University of Granada in Spain focused on the relevance of lessons learned from previous outbreaks in Africa. The authors investigated how the incidence of other infectious diseases might increase if most of the resources are used to respond to emergencies in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
According to researchers, the most urgent need is to improve access to water, sanitation and personal hygiene (WASH). Although this seems to be a naive approach, the lack of these services not only hinders the implementation of preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2, but is also associated with a high mortality rate. In this case, the researchers recommend developing strategies to explore the potential vulnerability of most African countries to COVID-19, aiming to lay a solid foundation based on the improvement of the WASH system.
With information from: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/impact-of-covid-19-in-african-countries/119732/
