COVID-19 in Africa : care and protection for frontline healthcare workers

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dc.contributor.authorChersich, Matthew F.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGray, Glendaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorFairlie, Leeen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorEichbaum, Quentinen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMayhew, Susannahen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorAllwood, Brian W.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorEnglish, Reneen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorScorgie, Fionaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLuchters, Stanleyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSimpson, Gregen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMosalman Haghighi, Marjanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDuc Pham, Minhen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRees, Helenen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2020-05-19T07:27:32Z
dc.date.available2020-05-19T07:27:32Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionCITATION: Chersich, M. F. et al. 2020. COVID-19 in Africa : care and protection for frontline healthcare workers. Globalization and Health, 16:46, doi:10.1186/s12992-020-00574-3.
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com
dc.description.abstractMedical staff caring for COVID-19 patients face mental stress, physical exhaustion, separation from families, stigma, and the pain of losing patients and colleagues. Many of them have acquired SARS-CoV-2 and some have died. In Africa, where the pandemic is escalating, there are major gaps in response capacity, especially in human resources and protective equipment. We examine these challenges and propose interventions to protect healthcare workers on the continent, drawing on articles identified on Medline (Pubmed) in a search on 24 March 2020. Global jostling means that supplies of personal protective equipment are limited in Africa. Even low-cost interventions such as facemasks for patients with a cough and water supplies for handwashing may be challenging, as is ‘physical distancing’ in overcrowded primary health care clinics. Without adequate protection, COVID-19 mortality may be high among healthcare workers and their family in Africa given limited critical care beds and difficulties in transporting ill healthcare workers from rural to urban care centres. Much can be done to protect healthcare workers, however. The continent has learnt invaluable lessons from Ebola and HIV control. HIV counselors and community healthcare workers are key resources, and could promote social distancing and related interventions, dispel myths, support healthcare workers, perform symptom screening and trace contacts. Staff motivation and retention may be enhanced through carefully managed risk ‘allowances’ or compensation. International support with personnel and protective equipment, especially from China, could turn the pandemic’s trajectory in Africa around. Telemedicine holds promise as it rationalises human resources and reduces patient contact and thus infection risks. Importantly, healthcare workers, using their authoritative voice, can promote effective COVID-19 policies and prioritization of their safety. Prioritizing healthcare workers for SARS-CoV-2 testing, hospital beds and targeted research, as well as ensuring that public figures and the population acknowledge the commitment of healthcare workers may help to maintain morale. Clearly there are multiple ways that international support and national commitment could help safeguard healthcare workers in Africa, essential for limiting the pandemic’s potentially devastating heath, socio-economic and security impacts on the continent.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-020-00574-3
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.format.extent6 pages
dc.identifier.citationChersich, M. F. et al. 2020. COVID-19 in Africa : care and protection for frontline healthcare workers. Globalization and Health, 16:46, doi:10.1186/s12992-020-00574-3.
dc.identifier.issn1744-8603 (online)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.1186/s12992-020-00574-3
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108574
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherBioMed Central
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyright
dc.subjectCOVID-19 (Disease) -- Risk factors -- Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectCOVID-19 (Disease) -- Psychological aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectMedical personnel -- Protectionen_ZA
dc.subjectMedical personnel -- Safety measures -- Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectPersonal protective equipmenten_ZA
dc.subjectCOVID-19 (Disease) -- International cooperationen_ZA
dc.titleCOVID-19 in Africa : care and protection for frontline healthcare workersen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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