The World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Motshidiso Moeti, on Friday, warned countries on the continent to be wary of other diseases amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Leon Charles Moukouri
“I invite all African countries not to lose sight of the progress they have made in the health field as they adjust to cope with this new threat,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
According to her, “while African countries are struggling to control the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), they must also keep up efforts in the face of other health emergencies, such as malaria and polio.”
“An overburdened health system not only undermines the effectiveness of the response to the Covid-19, but can also jeopardize the fight against a host of preventable threats to human health.
“Even brief interruptions of immunization can lead to an outbreak, making children and other exposed groups more vulnerable to life-threatening diseases,” Dr. Moeti added.
She recalled that “before the emergence of the new coronavirus in Africa, the World Health Organization had stressed the need for countries to ensure the continuity of routine essential health services.”
LCM/te/fss/as/APA