Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Good morning and good afternoon, bonjour, bom dia to everyone joining this press conference where we will be looking at COVID-19 treatment capacities in African countries.
For this conversation, I’m very pleased to welcome Professor Daye Ka, who is an infectious and tropical disease expert and member of the treatment pillar of the COVID-19 Task Force in Senegal. I’m also happy to welcome Dr Norbert Ndjeka, the Director of Drug-Resistant TB and HIV, at the Department of Health in South Africa and Team Leader for COVID-19 case management. Our panelists will tell us about how their countries are ramping-up treatment capacities as part of readiness for a resurgence.
On the African continent, there have now been more than 4.8 million COVID-19 cases and 131,000 people sadly have died. In the past week, 74,000 new cases were reported – an increase of 9% over the previous week. We are seeing rising cases in South Africa and in countries like Uganda and Namibia, and cases have increased abruptly in eight countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria in the past 7 days.
We’ve seen how COVID-19 can quickly overwhelm health systems that are not equipped to manage a surge in cases, so critical care capacities remain vitally important.
Since the start of the pandemic, supplies worth 123 million dollars have been shipped to African countries through the UN Supply Portal, which is coordinated by WHO. These include around 3700 oxygen concentrators, 1300 patient monitors and 700 ventilators, with 300 more in the pipeline.
These investments have gone a long way in building capacities to manage moderate and severe COVID-19 cases. However, many African hospitals and clinics are still far from ready for a surge in critically-ill COVID-19 patients.
Looking at countries in Europe and the Americas, those with more than 25 intensive care beds per 100,000 population were able to meet the increased demands when cases surged.
However, among 23 African countries responding to a WHO survey in May this year, only five have more than five ICU beds per 100,000 people and most countries, unfortunately have less than one ICU bed per 100,000. This reflects decades-long of under-investment in health systems among many other competing priorities. These capacities are desperately needed now and need to be ready to face future threats.
An assessment by PATH, the global health organization, of oxygen requirements in 24 African countries during the January peak, indicated that depending on each country’s epidemiological situation they required between 1000 and 700,000 cubic metres of oxygen a day. None of the countries assessed were able to meet their needs.
Attention is also needed on the quality of care being provided and a recent WHO analysis of COVID-19 clinical management protocols in African countries revealed that just over half recommended antibiotics, such as Azithromycin, for mild cases and 80% recommend antibiotics for moderate cases. However, this treatment may be largely ineffective as we know that antibiotics don’t work against viruses and should only be used if patients develop a secondary bacterial infection.
To prepare for a resurgence, as WHO, we are mobilizing case management experts as we did also in response to previous waves in countries like Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and other countries. We are pre-positioning 2 million dollars’ worth of essential commodities, including 1000 oxygen concentrators that can be deployed quickly when needed and partners in the USA, Portugal and other countries have signaled their readiness to deploy emergency medical teams in the event that local systems need to be reinforced.
Investing in critical care capacities in African countries now, will pay dividends for the COVID-19 response, along with strengthening health systems to manage major killers like childhood pneumonia, as well as post cardiac arrest, pre- and post-operative care, and traumatic injuries, among others. This will result in health and development gains for generations to come.
Turning then to the update on the vaccine rollout, 31 million doses have been administered in African countries – 7 million Africans have received two doses. In sub-Saharan Africa, we are at an average of one dose per 100 people, compared to a global average of 26, and 62 per 100 in high-income countries.
The gap between vaccinations globally and on the African continent is increasing, despite the best efforts of African countries, because of vaccine inequity. This is a great concern for us, and it was strongly expressed by many ministers of health during the just passed World Health Assembly, which is the global meeting of all the world’s ministers of health. They emphasized the need for immediate sharing of doses and for longer-term expansion and diversification of production capacities.
Nearly 20 African countries have now used more than two-thirds of the doses they’ve received and many of these countries are ready, willing and able to rapidly roll out more. The threat of a third wave in Africa is real and rising. Vaccines are key to staving off a new surge and keeping the most vulnerable Africans out of critical care. Vaccines are truly a gift that will keep on giving.
As we are expecting a surge, it’s important to strengthen health systems now, to save lives and public health measures remain important to prevent infections that can later become hospitalizations.
So, I thank you again for having joined us today and I very much look forward to our discussion.