Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Good afternoon everyone and thank you for connecting with us.
I’m very pleased to be joined by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Rwanda. Thank you Minister for making the time to join us. And my colleague, Mr Nikoi from the World Food Programme to discuss efforts to assure food security in Africa in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is an urgent issue, as more than 200 million people are undernourished in the WHO African Region, and the pandemic is making the hunger situation worse. Undernourished people have weaker immune systems and may be at greater risk of severe illness if infected. On the other side, we also know that obesity and diabetes are linked to a higher risk of hospitalisation and death related to COVID-19.
As far as the situation is concerned, there are now more than 72,000 confirmed cases on the African continent and almost 2500 people have sadly lost their lives. As of this week, the pandemic has reached all 47 countries in the WHO African Region, with a case being confirmed in Lesotho yesterday. On average, over the past two weeks, 1500 new cases have been reported every day in the WHO African Region.
As countries relax social measures – and this needs to be done step-by-step, informed by data, with scaled-up public health capacities including testing – communities must be informed and enabled to implement preventive measures like physical distancing, hand hygiene, covering the mouth and nose when coughing, and disinfecting surfaces, also covering the mouth and nose with a mask when people are out in public.
Continuity of essential services is also incredibly important. This week, a new modelling study by WHO and UNAIDS indicated that there could be 500,000 extra deaths from AIDS-related illness in sub-Saharan Africa, if antiretroviral therapy is disrupted for six months.
The World Health Statistics published by WHO yesterday, reported that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 66% of the world’s maternal deaths, and only one in two women have their family planning needs met. So, every woman should have access to quality health care, and this reaffirms the importance of continuing providing essential services, even as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We also need to pay close attention to transmission of COVID-19 in settings where preventive measures are very challenging, like prisons and camps for refugees and displaced people. From the first signal that something is wrong, any person who may be infected should be isolated, tested and provided care.
In closing, I’d also like to encourage everyone to tune in to the Africa at home: together against coronavirus concert on Canal Plus Afrique this Saturday, 16 May at 8:30 pm GMT.
I thank you very much for having joined us.