TY - JOUR
T1 - The neglected role of faith-based organizations in prevention and control of COVID-19 in Africa
AU - Vilakati, Phesheya Ndumiso
AU - Villa, Simone
AU - Alagna, Riccardo
AU - Khumalo, Bongani
AU - Tshuma, Sarah
AU - Quaresima, Virginia
AU - Nieman, Nicole Rose
AU - Cirillo, Daniela Maria
AU - Raviglione, Mario Carlo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s).
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/10/1
Y1 - 2020/10/1
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed health system weaknesses of economically wealthy countries with advanced technologies. COVID-19 is nowmoving fast across Africa where small outbreaks have been reported so far. There is a concern that with the winter transmission will grow rapidly. Despite efforts of African Governments to promptly establish mitigating measures, rural areas, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, risk being neglected. In those settings, faith-based and other non-governmental organizations, if properly equipped and supported, can play a crucial role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. We describe our experience in two rural health facilities in eSwatini and Ethiopia highlighting the struggle towards preparedness and the urgency of international support to help prevent a major public health disaster.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed health system weaknesses of economically wealthy countries with advanced technologies. COVID-19 is nowmoving fast across Africa where small outbreaks have been reported so far. There is a concern that with the winter transmission will grow rapidly. Despite efforts of African Governments to promptly establish mitigating measures, rural areas, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, risk being neglected. In those settings, faith-based and other non-governmental organizations, if properly equipped and supported, can play a crucial role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. We describe our experience in two rural health facilities in eSwatini and Ethiopia highlighting the struggle towards preparedness and the urgency of international support to help prevent a major public health disaster.
KW - Africa
KW - COVID-19
KW - FBOs
KW - NGOs
KW - Preparedness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092682304&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85092682304&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/trstmh/traa073
DO - 10.1093/trstmh/traa073
M3 - Article
C2 - 32853360
AN - SCOPUS:85092682304
VL - 114
SP - 784
EP - 786
JO - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
SN - 0035-9203
IS - 10
ER -