African health ministers call for greater vigilance to reduce the rise in COVID-19 infections

Led by Republic of Congo’s Minister of Health and Population Jacqueline Mikolo, African health leaders have called on governments to increase political engagement, information sharing and medical research in the fight against COVID-19.

The 70th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) The Regional Committee for Africa opened this week as African nations deal with possible recurrences of COVID-19 infections.

Minister Mikolo reaffirmed the group’s commitment to preserve the gains obtained in the fight against the pandemic and said that it is essential to combat complacency in observing COVID-19 preventive measures by strengthening communication and epidemiological surveillance.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, stressed the importance of strengthening prevention, particularly when people travel or gather for year-end celebrations.

“While we see an increase in cases in parts of Europe and the Americas and an increase in our regional daily case chart, we cannot be satisfied. We must prepare for a renaissance, including increasing precautions in risky situations such as festive and election-related meetings. “

Over the past three weeks, many African countries have seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases. As of November 22, 18 countries reported an increase of more than 20% in the previous seven days compared to the last seven days.

South African Health Minister Hon. Zweli Mkhize shared lessons from his country’s experience in fighting the virus. The minister stressed the need for governments to develop swift and evidence-based decisions, address the socio-economic impact of the pandemic and, as Minister Mikolo said, resist the urge to become complacent

“Right now, we are going through this COVID-19 tiredness, both from communities who are tired of wearing masks and [observing physical] removal. We also have health workers who have been [through] a heavy burden, and now rebirth is coming they are also showing a lot of fatigue. These are the areas on which we must continue to focus “, said Minister Mkhize.