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A new report has highlighted the large information gaps on COVID-19 which exist in Africa and threaten response efforts of each country to curtail the pandemic.
The Responding to COVID-19 in Africa: Using Data to Find a Balance report includes first-of-its-kind data to adapt COVID-19 pandemic response to local needs and capacities in Africa.
The report is
designed to provide African governments real-time information and guidance to
find the balance in COVID-19 Response.
The Using Data to Find a Balance report is developed by Africa CDC, the WHO, Ipsos, Vital Strategies‘ Resolve to Save
Lives initiative, the UK Public Health
Rapid Support Team, Novetta Mission
Analytics and the World Economic
Forum to provide data and guidance to governments as they
move toward a long-term response: use data to make informed decisions, adapt
local measures as the pandemic and public perceptions evolve, and mitigate
adverse effects by focusing on protecting the most vulnerable populations.
“This report highlights the large information gaps on COVID-19 which exist in Africa and threaten response efforts,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti.
“The findings of this report, along with COVID-19 trend
data, will help countries make strategic decisions on relaxing their
lockdowns. What we’ve learnt from Ebola and other outbreaks is that countries
need to decentralize the response to the community level and increase their
capacity to identify and diagnose cases.”
Key findings in the report include:
- One third (32%) of respondents said they do not have enough information about the coronavirus, including how it spreads and how to protect themselves;
- Across countries, large majorities believe COVID-19 will have major impact on their country (62%), but only 44% believe it is a threat to them personally;
- More than two thirds (69%) of respondents said food and water would be a problem if they were required to remain at home for 14 days – and 51% would run out of money.
Recommendations include that governments:
- Strengthen public health systems for immediate response and for a lasting recovery;
- Monitor data on how public health and social measures meet local COVID-19 conditions and needs; and
- Engage communities to adapt PHSM to the local context and effectively communicate about risks to sustain public support.
This report was produced by the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC), a public-private partnership that supports evidence-based measures to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on African countries. PERC member organizations are Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team and the World Economic Forum. WHO and Africa CDC are providing technical leadership and ensuring that new evidence is quickly adopted by Member States to adjust their COVID-19 response interventions. Ipsos and Novetta Mission Analytics bring market research expertise and years of data analytic support to the partnership.
The report notes the disruptions caused by public health
social measures, which are designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, and the
importance of preserving wellbeing, economic livelihoods and social stability.
Using Data to Find a Balance also includes recommendations for governments to
prioritize rapidly enhancing public health capacity to test, trace, isolate and
treat people infected with the virus, making the most of the time that early
intervention with PHSM has provided.
“Governments have had to make difficult
decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelter-in-place measures can prevent
infection but may limit access to food and essential services,” said Dr. Tom
Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital
Strategies.
“Governments cannot rely on guesswork or instinct to combat COVID-19 – they need data.
“Many preventive measures taken elsewhere in the world must
be adapted to the local context; we are proud to be a part of this
extraordinary effort to provide real-time, Africa-specific data so that
decision-makers can adapt their COVID-19 response based on data that is
specific to their country,” said Dr. Darrell Bricker, CEO, Ipsos Public
Affairs.
“The most successful response to COVID-19 in Africa
must consider context and adaptability, and must be data-driven. With the
release of Using Data to Find a Balance report, governments throughout Africa
now have access to country-specific policy recommendations, and the data to
guide their response to COVID-19 in the most effective and responsible manner,”
said Dr Nkengasong.
PERC conducted surveys across 28 cities in 20
African member states to assess the impact the crisis was already having on
populations, and people’s attitudes toward PHSMs being implemented. The report
includes a regional analysis accompanied by individual country briefs to
provide the most relevant data and recommendations to local decision-makers. As
the pandemic evolves, further waves of research are planned to provide real-time
updates that reflect current response efforts, changes to people’s perceptions,
and timely recommendations and guidance.
To read the full report, please visit: https://preventepidemics.org/coronavirus/perc/
