A number of governments across the continent are proactively ramping up temperature screenings at ports of entry and proactively starting to issue public communications to reassure their publics that, so far, the virus has not made landfall.
The glaring exception, though, is Ethiopia. The government has spent heavily over the years to position the country, Addis Ababa in particular, as a central hub for China-Africa trade, logistics, and transportation. Ethiopian Airlines is now the dominant airline shuttling people between the two regions with daily flights from two of China’s largest cities. So it’s somewhat surprising that Ethiopia and its national flag carrier have been slow to publicly respond to coronavirus outbreak and to reassure an increasingly anxious public on social media that they are both taking measures to do their part to help prevent an outbreak in Africa.
How African Governments Are Responding to the Wuhan Coronavirus
- SOUTH AFRICA: The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Tuesday said there was no cause for concern in South Africa over the mysterious respiratory condition. The NICD’s Cheryl Cohen reassured South Africans that measures were being put in place to guard against the disease entering the country. (EYEWITNESS NEWS)
- KENYA: New, rigorous screening measures are now in effect for all inbound passengers from China to detect the deadly Wuhan coronavirus. The Ministry of Health issued a directive to all 47 Kenyan countries to begin screenings at all ports of entry. At least three flights from China land every day at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. (THE STANDARD)
- NIGERIA: The Nigeria Center for Disease Control issued a public advisory on Wednesday and implemented new screening measures travelers with fevers at all ports of entry. “Nigerians are advised to remain calm,” said the advisory. (THIS DAY)
- EGYPT: Alaa Eid, head of the preventive medicine sector at the Egyptian Ministry of Health, said all passengers arriving from countries with known coronavirus infections will be screened at the country’s ports of entry. (MENAFM)
- ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines is the leading air carrier between Africa and China with daily flights from both Shanghai and Beijing. Given the high numbers of travelers flying on Ethiopian Airlines and passing through Addis Ababa’s international airport, it’s a bit surprising that both the airline and the government have been slow to respond to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak and implement new medical screenings.
Prominent Ethiopian-born physician Professor Senait Fisseha from the University of Michigan and Chief Medical Advisor to the World Health Organization raised the issue on Twitter yesterday about the apparent lack of response from Ethiopian Airlines to the burgeoning health crisis.
Four Measures African Governments Must do Now to Prepare
There are growing concerns that if/when the Wuhan coronavirus eventually lands in Africa, governments across the continent will not be prepared to deal with a potential outbreak. However, Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor, CEO of EpiAFRIC and Director of Policy and Advocacy for Nigeria Health Watch says the continent’s successful treatment of Ebola provides some valuable insights on what can be done to prepare for the next pandemic outbreak.
Here are Dr. Nsofor’s four recommendations:
1. EVERYONE GETS SCREENED. NO EXCEPTIONS: Increased screening at international borders using computerized thermal cameras should be intensified. No one should be exempt from this screening no matter how highly placed they are.
2. BE READY TO COUNTER FAKE NEWS: Prepare for the spread of fake news on infectious diseases and be proactive about pushing out the right information to counter it. Community education is very important, especially at this time when the infection is raging. People are scared and can easily fall prey to fake news.
3. GOVERNMENTS NEED TO MOBILIZE… NOW: Governments in consultation with national public health institutes should designate specialized centers for handling suspected cases. At the same time, they should provide the necessary drugs for treatment too.
4. INVEST IN PREVENTIVE MEASURES: All governments must invest in epidemic preparedness. Although it is not cheap, it is cost-effective. For instance, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control estimates that it would cost 40 cents per person for Nigeria to be prepared for epidemics.
