Prevenção e Controlo da COVID-19 no Contexto Africano

Abstract

Since the emergence of SARS–CoV–2 in China several efforts have been made in the search for solutions to prevent or cure the disease caused by this virus. Because it is a new virus, there are still some uncertainties regarding its behavior in the human body, which has hindered the competent authorities in making decisions regarding appropriate public health measures for the population.This article reviews the literature of the main preventive measures used to combat COVID–19 and describes its implications on the African continent. So far, the prevention measures used are non-pharmacological measures, such as: isolation or social distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, quarantine and screening and testing.The African continent was one of the last to be affected by the COVID–19 pandemic. Because many countries in Africa are considered to be developing countries, the majority population is in need and health systems are fragile, so prevention measures on this continent should be comprehensive, taking into account the type of economy of each country.Although the process of vaccine creation is complex, some promising proposals have already been made to be used in the prevention of COVID-19. The first vaccine to be approved was the Sputnik V vaccine from the Gamaleya Institute of Russia and was approved for use in Russia in August 2020. As of February 18, 2021, there were about 69 vaccines in clinical trials, 181 in pre-clinical studies and 8 vaccines are currently in use in several countries worldwide. The development of an effective vaccine is crucial, notwithstanding, the success of any vaccination campaign depends largely on the effectiveness and efficiency of supply lines. On the African continent, the existing vaccine supply lines face significant challenges. The governments of African countries should focus on strengthening these systems in preparation for the large-scale distribution of the COVID vaccines. New technologies such as solar panels, artificial intelligence algorithms, drones, as well as mobile phones, can offer solutions to some of the challenges related to the inefficiency of existing logistics systems on the African continent.