The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus cases in Africa has surpassed 500,000 since the beginning of the outbreak, while the death toll from the disease has reached 11,959 overtaking the number of Ebola fatalities across the continent, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa said on Wednesday in a press release
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2020) The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus cases in Africa has surpassed 500,000 since the beginning of the outbreak, while the death toll from the disease has reached 11,959 overtaking the number of Ebola fatalities across the continent, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa said on Wednesday in a press release.
"COVID-19 infections in Africa today surpassed 500 000, and there is concern as a growing number of countries are experiencing a sharp rise in cases. So far, in less than five months, the virus has claimed 11 959 lives, overtaking the 11 308 lives lost in the world's worst Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016," the press release said.
According to the WHO office, the number of those infected has more than doubled in 22 countries over the past month with Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa accounting for about 42 percent of the continent's total cases. Meanwhile, South Africa alone has recorded 29 percent of Africa's COVID-19 cases.
"However, the accelerating growth trend is not uniform across the continent, with some countries recording a steady rise in cases, indicating a protracted pandemic. Eritrea, Gambia, Mali, Seychelles and Togo are witnessing long doubling times and low growth rates. Seychelles had not experienced a case in nearly two months, but in the past week had dozens of new imported cases, linked to crew members of an international fishing vessel," the WHO said.
At the same time, 10 African countries have witnessed a downward trend in the infections' number over the past month. In addition, Egypt, which accounts for 15 percent of the continent's cumulative cases, has experienced a decline in the past week.
According to WHO Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti, the continent has manged to avoid disaster so far and will be able to slow the spread of the virus if African countries further strengthen key public health measures such as testing, tracing contacts and isolating those infected.
"Communities across the continent have a crucial role to play in controlling the pandemic, especially as countries begin easing lockdowns and opening up their borders," WHO Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al-Mandhari said in the press release, adding that people must remain as cautious and vigilant as ever by following preventative measures.
In addition, the organization noted that equipping and protecting health workers was one of the main axes of the continent's COVID-19 response, as thousands of them have already been infected with the virus.
To support countries amid the pandemic, the WHO has already organized more than 420 shipments of key equipment, including more than 3000 oxygen concentrators, 23,000 GeneXpert diagnostic testing machines and almost four million pieces of personal protective equipment for health care workers, among other things.
