News & Analysis: Senegal
“John Nkengasong, director at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, watched events unfolding in China with concern — long before the rest of the world had turned its attention to what was then just a mysterious outbreak of atypical pneumonia.”
“In March 2020, the African Union created the Rollo Africa Business Simulation Programme to support SMEs and the informal sector. Of the 490 businesses that applied the programme, 93 percent reported their business was heavily impacted by the pandemic and 95 percent testified they never received any government support to combat the economic downturn.”
“Poorer countries face challenges similar to those of advanced economies, but more acutely because of greater inequality, large informal sectors and difficulties with sanitation and social distancing in cramped informal settlements. That goes along with fragile health systems which have, once again, revealed structural weaknesses during the crisis.”
“The majority of health systems in Africa lack adequate financial resources to deliver much-needed quality health care. Many are dependent on government funding, which in turn relies on a weak tax-base and is often constrained by competing public needs such as agriculture, education and infrastructural development.”
“The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal has officially launched a platform, with an aim to promote access to diagnostics in Africa through the production and distribution of rapid diagnostic tests. The pathologies concerned by the initiative, according to Sall are Yellow fever, Ebola virus disease, measles, rubella, bacterial meningitis, and COVID-19.”
“GAVI, the global vaccine alliance, has been securing vaccine candidates to make the vaccine equally accessible to low-income countries. However, the countries may be required to share some of the costs of delivery which is up to $1.60 to $2 per dose. The economies of most African countries may not be able to afford the vaccine delivery.”
“Following the country’s first COVID-19 case, Senegal enacted several public health policies to prevent community transmission and protect its fragile health system. Observers credit transparent and consistent public messaging for widespread support of essential measures, including mask mandates.”
“The picture of how successfully Africa has combated COVID-19 to date may be up for discussion, but the innovation and ingenuity demonstrated in the continent’s response to the pandemic deserves to be reflected in writing on the global response.”
“A $100 million initiative launched this week that aims to expand next-generation genomic sequencing tools and expertise across the African continent, which experts say could be used to tackle disease outbreaks more effectively.”
“Senegal will recruit 1,500 additional health workers and raise 500 billion CFA francs ($893 million) to modernize hospitals and build new facilities.”
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