The Zimbabwean government believes COVID-19 is no longer a national health threat and should now be treated just like any other diseases such as flu or an ordinary headache.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
The development follows the recent announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the disease was no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Following this declaration by the World Health Organisation, and after a a series of recording between one and Zero COVID cases daily, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), gradually phased out the issuing of daily Situation Reports (SITREPs) for COVID, with the last SITREP having been issued three weeks ago.
Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes, Zimbabwe COVID-19 Response National Coordinator, Dr. Agnes Mahomva, she said Zimbabwe was now out of the woods.
When we have an outbreak whether measles, cholera or a pandemic like COVID-19, we tend to give statistics daily as we monitor what is obtaining. Gradually when we see we are out of it, we then don’t give those daily. It is like almost saying we can’t give daily stats on malaria, pneumonia. We now cannot give the statistics anymore because we are out of the emergency period. COVID-19 is now being treated like any other disease,” said Dr. Mahomva.
She said as they monitor the disease like any other disease, they are on the lookout for a number of cases which can be viewed as an outbreak. Once that happens, they may start issuing again the daily statistics.
“They monitor like every other disease. When they study that cases are rising, they then start issuing again. It is like when you get to the clinic, they tell you, you have pneumonia, they put the numbers. When they reflect on the figures seeing just one or two cases or when they see 20 cases, this sounds like an outbreak they then compare with other clinics and go out to the nation and then we get to see these stats issued out.”
On July 8, 2023, Zimbabwe did not record a single new case of COVID-19 but however recorded one case the following day.
However, Dr Mahomva cautined that it was to early to conclude that the country has reached elimination stage. Dr Mahomva said the WHO definition for elimination and eradication state that countries should have zero infections for a period of time.
She also gave an example of measles which is yet to be eliminated globally as there are isolated cases recorded here and there.
As of July 9 2023, the country had one new case and 156 active cases. A cumulative 12,977,784 doses were administered in the country on that day. No new deaths were recorded as well.
