African officials pushed back Thursday against the global jostling to obtain medical equipment to combat the coronavirus, warning that if the virus is left to spread on the continent the world will remain at risk.
“We cannot be neglected in this effort,” the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told reporters. “The world will be terribly unsafe, and it will be completely naive, if countries think they can control COVID-19 in their countries but not in Africa.”
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African officials pushed back Thursday against the global jostling to obtain medical equipment to combat the coronavirus, warning that if the virus is left to spread on the continent the world will remain at risk.
“The worst is still to come,” he said, and pointed to the global Spanish flu pandemic of a century ago when cases came in waves.
While 48 of Africa’s 54 countries now have testing capability, that often is limited to countries’ capitals or other major cities, officials with the World Health Organization told reporters in a separate briefing.
Even if testing kits and other equipment are found, another challenge is delivering them amid the thicket of travel restrictions. Cargo space is rare because many airlines have stopped flights to African destinations, Yao said.
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, are asked to practice social distancing by police as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days practice social distancing as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
South African police help distribute food to homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days practice social distancing as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food.(AP PhotoJerome Delay)
A man does excercises in a scrap yard, during lockdown due to the coronavirus, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, April 8, 2020.The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.(AP PhotoTsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Ferry commuters walk through an automated disinfecting machine installed this week that sprays disinfectant onto all passengers boarding or disembarking ferries that cross the harbor of Mombasa, on the south coast of Kenya Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Kenya this week increased its restrictions to combat the coronavirus, announcing travel bans into and out of the capital city, Nairobi, the port of Mombasa and two counties. (AP Photo)
While Africa's 1.3 billion people had a head start in preparing for the pandemic as the virus spread in China, Europe and the United States, Nkengasong warned that “the very future of the continent will depend on how this matter is handled” as cases, now over 11,000, quickly rise.
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, practice social distancing as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
“The worst is still to come,” he said, and pointed to the global Spanish flu pandemic of a century ago when cases came in waves.
Africa is competing with the developing world for testing kits that will help give a clear number of cases, as well as ventilators for patients in respiratory distress and protective equipment that front-line health workers desperately require. Already, anxious workers have gone on strike or gone to court in places like Zimbabwe over the lack of gear.
“We may not actually know how big is the size of the problem” without scaling up testing, Nkengasong said.
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
While 48 of Africa’s 54 countries now have testing capability, that often is limited to countries’ capitals or other major cities, officials with the World Health Organization told reporters in a separate briefing.
There is an “urgent need” to expand testing, the WHO Africa chief, Matshidiso Moeti, said, noting that clusters of community transmission have emerged in at least 16 countries. That means the virus has begun spreading beyond the initial cases imported from abroad.
“Some countries might face a huge peak very soon” in cases, said the WHO’s emergency program manager, Michel Yao.
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, are asked to practice social distancing by police as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Even if testing kits and other equipment are found, another challenge is delivering them amid the thicket of travel restrictions. Cargo space is rare because many airlines have stopped flights to African destinations, Yao said.
Close to 20 African countries have closed their borders, and several are now under lockdown to try to prevent the virus’ spread. Millions of people wonder whether nations will follow Rwanda’s lead in extending the period that all but essential workers are confined to their homes.
Lifting the lockdowns will depend on the situation in neighboring countries, Nkengasong said. Otherwise, “what’s the point? If Botswana or Zimbabwe have cases and South Africa opens up, you waste everybody’s time.”
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, are asked to practice social distancing by police as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, are asked to practice social distancing by police as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days, are asked to practice social distancing by police as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days practice social distancing as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
South African police help distribute food to homeless recyclers and other destitute people, some of whom said they have not eaten in three days practice social distancing as they lineup in a Johannesburg park, waiting to receive food baskets from private donors, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Because of South Africa's imposed lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, many people who don't have savings and are unable to work are not able to buy food.(AP PhotoJerome Delay)
A man does excercises in a scrap yard, during lockdown due to the coronavirus, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, April 8, 2020.The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.(AP PhotoTsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Ferry commuters walk through an automated disinfecting machine installed this week that sprays disinfectant onto all passengers boarding or disembarking ferries that cross the harbor of Mombasa, on the south coast of Kenya Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Kenya this week increased its restrictions to combat the coronavirus, announcing travel bans into and out of the capital city, Nairobi, the port of Mombasa and two counties. (AP Photo)