South Africa is struggling to balance its fight against the coronavirus with its dire need to resume economic activity.
GENEVA, Switzerland
Africa has so far been spared the worst
impact of the coronavirus, but the World Health Organization is worried the
continent could face a “silent epidemic” if its leaders do not prioritize
testing for it, a WHO envoy said on Monday.
“My first point for Africa, my first concern, is that a lack of testing is leading to a silent epidemic in Africa. So we must continue to push leaders to prioritize testing,” special envoy Samba Sow told a news conference.
The WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said some countries had taken measures to curb the disease at a high economic cost. Those measures meant the pandemic was having a milder impact so far than some models had predicted, Moeti said.
All African countries had preparedness plans in place, he said, although there were still “gaps and vulnerabilities”.
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