Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kartoum (Agenzia Fides) - The picture presented by the World Health Organization in much of Africa is that of health systems which are collapsing, doctors, nurses and other health workers who have reached the limits of their physical strength, overloaded structures and organizations, lack of personal protective equipment, exposure to COVID-19 patients, overload of work, poor prevention of infections and control measures… which represent the main risk factors associated with infections in health care facilities.
In particular in Sudan, the increase in cases of contagion from Covid-19 records in particular vulnerable young people, contributing to a further spread of the virus. The "white coat army" continues its tireless service, said Siddig Tawir, chairman of the Health Emergency Committee. Tawir reported 200 new cases registered on Saturday 3 March and another 250 on Sunday 4 March, mostly among young people, including schoolchildren. As can be seen in the note sent to Agenzia Fides, the president attributes the increase in the rate of infection to a relaxed attitude towards the second wave of the pandemic "many think that the pandemic is over", he said. "COVID-19 will not be contained so much by laws and procedures as by the awareness of the entire population".
During a recent meeting, the Transitional Partners Council (TPC) discussed the latest developments regarding the pandemic. Speaking on behalf of the TPC, Maryam El Sadiq explained that all state agencies are working to fight the virus and praised Sudan's 'White Coat Army' "whose members are making fundamental efforts to tackle COVID-19 and they are currently involved in a series of national and international initiatives". The TPC spokesperson also appealed to the public to adhere to health precautions. A report released by WHO notes that, since the beginning of the pandemic, an average of 267 infections have been recorded among health workers every day, or 11 new infections per hour. To date, more than 100,000 healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19 in the African region, 3.5% of the total number of cases in the region. "Vaccine doses will remain limited", said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, "and it is crucial that frontline health workers and other most exposed groups have priority. Healthcare workers must be protected because without their central role, efforts against the pandemic would be in vain. We need to further protect and equip our health care workers to effectively contribute to efforts to contain COVID-19. Everyone's well-being is at stake without properly supported healthcare personnel", said Dr. Moeti. On March 3, the first batch of 828,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Khartoum airport. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 10/4/2021)
