THE Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights calls for strengthening of the country’s surveillance amid the growing public health emergency of international concern, the Wuhan novel coronavirus.
This call comes at a time when Zimbabwe proclaimed its alertness against this virus which has so far killed 361 people in China while the Phillipines reported a death today.
“Active surveillance, prompt diagnosis and effective treatment of infected individuals have been shown to be the mainstay of containing outbreaks of such nature,” said the association. “. This calls for health workers to be mobilized, trained, equipped and well protected to deal with any suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus.”
The association also said government authorities should enforce adequate surveillance measures at all ports of entry into the country.
“Such mechanisms must be in place to diagnose suspected patients, provide treatment facilities which minimise further spread to others and/or health workers and to do contact tracing for all suspected cases,” said ZADHR.
Added ZADHR, “Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Child Care must immediately empower members of the media and its own communications department to educate the public on the safety and hygiene precautionary measures to counter the myths and misconception on social media regarding treatment and management of the condition. ZADHR applauds the leading role taken of the World Health Organization in informing the world about this Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) to date.”
By 2 February, globally there were 14557 confirmed (2604 new) that being; China 14411 confirmed (2590 new), 2110 severe (315 new), 304 deaths (45 new), outside of China 146 confirmed (14 new) in 23 countries and 1 death according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Novel Coronavirus (2019- nCoV) Situation Report — 13).
