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Appeal for Africa, Let’s Not Abandon Africa in Coping with the COVID-19 Emergency

In dealing with the COVID-19 emergency, Italy and Europe are witnessing a veritable rush for self-protection, as a form of prevention and containment, and perhaps also excessive alarmism.

But after China, the real Coronavirus “emergency” is Africa.

For the moment it seems that Africa has been spared. There is only one confirmed case so far, in Egypt, so it is fundamental to take advantage of the time available to organize effective resistance against the possibility of an invasion of the virus as soon as possible.

There is a risk that the situation will not be kept under control as it should be. Entire areas of the continent aren’t equipped to handle the risk of an epidemic.

Another element to be taken into account is the large presence of Chinese workers that travel back and forth from their country of origin, even though some of them stay indoors for protection and to avoid “manhunts”.

Despite the threat of a collapse to the system, as noted some time ago by the World Health Organization (WHO) and announced by the Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during the meeting of the Health Ministers of the African Union on 11 February in Addis Ababa, Africa remains on the edge of the Coronavirus issue.

But this time we cannot abandon and leave the large continent, our next-door neighbor, to its fate.

Cases of mass contagion could happen at any moment and most hospitals are not equipped to handle a large number of patients in need of intensive care. 

Serums to test for the coronavirus are only sent to a few centers in select countries. The lack of reagents to test for COVID-19 is delaying the process to confirm infections.

This is why we must support those who are working to ensure that the kits arrive as soon as possible.
Above all, Europe and the international community should send virologists to organize training courses.

74% of African countries has a plan in preparation for generic pandemic influenza, however, most of the plans are obsolete and the healthcare systems are particularly vulnerable and unable to handle a COVID-19 epidemic.
Furthermore, Africans don’t know the Coronavirus yet. They fear malaria, cholera, Ebola and tetanus more because these infectious diseases continue to take hundreds of thousands of lives every year. This is another element that weighs heavily on the emergency and which impels us to make this appeal that sees the names Alex Zanorelli, Jean Leonarda Rouadi, Aldo Morrone  Gianni Pittella at the top of the list.

If you would like to sign the appeal, send an email to redazione@focusonafrica.info
Now as never before, we cannot abandon Africa.

SIGN

 

Following is the initial list of signatures (constantly updated) in alphabetical order.

 

Omer Abdullah
Remo Agnoletto
Laura Aprati
Suliman Ahmed Hamed
Marino Bisso
Massimo Calabro
Fabio Calenda
Tessa Calenda
Giulia Cananzi
Celeste Casciaro
Chiara Cavallo
Serena Cavallo
Francesca Della Seta
Omar El Fata
Enrico Ferri
Januaria Guarini
Giorgio Longobardi
Aldo Morrone
Antonella Napoli
Mauro Pantaleo
Gianni Pittella
Arrigo Portaccio Margottin
Anastasia Purlik
Francesca Povoledo
Shukri Said
Patrizia Santangeli
Brigitte Stubner
Jean Leonard Touadì
Valentina Lo Surdo
Rosario Valles
Francesca Zanoni
Alex Zanotelli

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