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Namibia's coronavirus risk low: Sagoe-Moses
WINDHOEK, 12 FEB (NAMPA) – Namibia has not reported a confirmed case of coronavirus and is among the low risk countries in Africa, but this does not mean the country should relax in its preparation for response.
This was said by World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative to Namibia, Charles Sagoe-Moses at a media briefing here on Wednesday.
Sagoe-Moses said judging by the volume of travelers to and from China, Namibia’s risk is low compared to other African states.
“However, this does not mean the country should relax in its preparation for response, hence the efforts by the WHO country office and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to help Namibia meet international health regulation requirements,” he said.
The country representative said his office is working closely with the Namibian and Chinese governments, as well as the rest of the international community, to address the gaps and uncertainties about how to detect the coronavirus, how to prevent it from spreading further and what measures to take to contain it.
“We are working rapidly on research and development to mobilise a network of partners through the blueprint for epidemics to identify, prioritise and accelerate the development of diagnostics, vaccines and therapies needed to combat the virus in the long term,” said Sagoe-Moses.
He added that so far, 15 African countries have the necessary equipment to test for the coronavirus and Namibia will join the list within this week as the country is in the process of acquiring the necessary reagents.
Ministry of Health and Social Services Chief Health Programme Officer, Julia Malule, said the ministry has put measures in place such as setting up emergency health facilities at the Hosea Kutako International Airport. It is also currently training some of its officials on how to detect the coronavirus.
The virus has infected tens of thousands of people worldwide, mostly in mainland China, since it was first reported from Wuhan, China on 31 December 2019.
Sagoe-Moses said by Tuesday, 43 103 cases were confirmed worldwide. Of these, 42 708 confirmed cases and 1 017 deaths are from China.
