Session virtual link: Digital Session, Meeting ID: 935 8426 8436
Session objectives
- To discuss health in Africa covering leadership/governance, service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines and health financing.
- To discuss successes achieved and challenges faced during the AFRICA COVID-19 response
Session Abstract
An expansive discussion on health covering leadership/governance, service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines and health financing in Africa. In addition, we will discuss Africa’s Covid-19 response; successes & challenges.
Despite predictions that the number of deaths in Africa due to COVID-19 would reach 10 million, overall, the continent reported relatively fewer cases compared to the rest of the world. Many African countries have been successful in containing initial outbreaks by rapidly using evidence-based interventions through implementation strategies including promoting and facilitating handwashing, social distancing, testing, contact tracing, and lockdowns. They have learned these interventions from Asian and European countries earlier on in the pandemic and from prior epidemics including SARS and Ebola.
The difference from the previous epidemics and this pandemic is that Africa is adapting implementation strategies to reflect their own contextual factors or developing new implementation strategies appropriate to the country and region. Despite weak health systems, evidence shows that the ability to identify and address the right contextual factors in the African setting, with strong leadership, when rapidly and effectively implementing evidence-based interventions is key in containing the outbreak.
Event Timeslots (1)
ROOM 4 COMMONWEALTH
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SE 07