COVID-19: Africa must prioritise testing – WHO

0 273

World Health Organisation (WHO), has expressed concern over what it describes as a silent epidemic in Africa and urged the continent leaders to prioritise testing for COVID-19.

WHO Special Envoy Samba Sow, said this two days ago during a news conference in Geneva.

He said WHO is worried the continent could face a “silent epidemic” if its leaders fail to prioritise testing for it.

“My first point for Africa, my first concern, is that a lack of testing is leading to a silent epidemic in Africa.

“So, we must continue to push leaders to prioritise testing,” Sow stated.

Meanwhile, WHO’s Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has credited the continent’s experience dealing with other epidemics as helping it scale up its response to the coronavirus and be spared the impact seen elsewhere so far.

Samba Sow
Samba Sow

He said Africa was the region with the fewest diagnosed coronavirus cases, accounting for less than 1.5 per cent of the global total and just 0.1per cent of deaths.

 285 total views

Read More  Case summary of COVID-19 in Nigeria on 17th July 2020
Comments
Loading...
Need Help? Chat with us