As COVID-19 becomes routine, Africa readies for next crisis

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Building on the experience of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, African countries are strengthening health systems to prepare for the next health crisis, the World Health Organization’s Africa director said Thursday.

At the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, some of the 54 countries in the continent of 1.3 billion people lacked the facilities or trained health workers to respond adequately to the health crisis, with some struggling to provide hospital isolation wards and intensive care units, Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa regional director, said at an online briefing Thursday.

However, over the course of three years, African countries have ramped up investments in health infrastructure in the race against the pandemic with support from global donors, she said.

“The future, however difficult the past couple of years have been, will find us in a much better situation in terms of our strategies, our investments and our capacities to confront public health threats,” said Moeti.

"We know now what we need to do to be able to make sure that our systems are resilient to the impact of a shock like an outbreak,” she said.

Across the continent, she said, WHO is working with countries to reinforce their capacities by training first responders while work is also ongoing to strengthen public health institutions and emergency operations.

One of the “most exciting outcomes of the struggle” Africa faced in getting COVID-19 vaccines is that some countries in the continent are now developing their capacities to produce those key tools locally, Moeti added.

“Whatever happens in the future, the next pandemic will find the world and Africa much readier” in its response, she said, optimistic about “important partnerships” and African...