The World Health
Organisation (WHO) says the number of COVID-19 cases on the African continent
has increased to 18,000 with over 900 deaths.
WHO stated this
while noting that 44 countries in Africa can now test for COVID-19.
The UN’s health
agency disclosed this on Friday in its official twitter account @WHOAFRO.
The WHO said at the
start of the outbreak only two could do so.
“As COVID-19 spreads
beyond capital cities in Africa, there must also be a response at the
grassroots level.
“A wide network of
community polio health workers in Nigeria are using their expertise and
technology to support COVID-19 surveillance,’’ it added.
The breakdown on the
WHO African Region COVID-19 dashboard showed that South Africa, Algeria and
Cameroon had continued to top the list of countries with the highest reported
cases.
“South Africa has
2,605 cases and 48 deaths followed by Algeria with 2,268 cases and 348 deaths,
while Cameroon has 855 confirmed cases with 17 deaths.”
According to the
dashboard, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Burundi and Mauritania still
remain countries with lowest confirmed cases in the region.
It showed that South
Sudan and Sao Tome and Principe were the lowest confirmed cases, which had four
cases each with zero death.
Burundi was the
second country with lowest confirmed cases with five reported cases and zero
death.
Mauritania in the
third category with lowest cases as the country had recorded seven confirmed
cases with one death.
Also, the dashboard
showed that COVID-19 cases had risen to 373 confirmed cases with 11 deaths in
Nigeria.
“Also, the COVID-19
Situation Report showed the number of cases in WHO African Region had increased
by 51 per cent and the number of deaths by 60 per cent.
“As of 14 April 2020
(epidemiological week 16) a cumulative total of 10, 759 confirmed COVID-19
cases with 520 deaths (Case Fatality Ratio (CFR): 4.8 per cent) have been
reported across the 45 affected countries in the region,’’ it said.
According to the
report, the COVID-19 pandemic has reached a new milestone in the region, with
over 10, 000 cases and over 500 deaths being reported across all Member States
with the exception of Comoros and Lesotho.
Six countries
(Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger and South Africa) accounted for
two thirds of the cases in the region.
In Algeria, although
a decrease in case incidence was observed in the past two weeks, the high case
fatality ratio is of grave concern.
“There is a need to
strengthen case management and conduct in-depth epidemiological analyses to
better understand the risk factors associated with these deaths.
“The upsurge of
cases in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana requires particular attention.
“Current response
measures in these countries need to be reinforced in order to rapidly contain
the spread of the outbreak.
“Although the weekly
incidence rate appears to have substantially slowed down over the past two
weeks, the situation remains critical.
“National
authorities need to stay alert and continue to implement proven public health
measures such as active case finding, testing and isolation of cases, contact
tracing, physical distancing and promotion of good personal hygiene practice,’’
it stated.
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