WHO lists Angola in top priority countries for monitoring

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WHO lists Angola in top priority countries for monitoring

7:16 CAT | 08 Feb 2020

File photo: Lusa

Angola is among the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) top 13 countries that need to be closely monitored in the fight against the new coronavirus due to its direct links with China.

In a press release that Lusa saw on Friday, the WHO listed these 13 countries for the high volume of trips to China.

According to the WHO, additional personnel have already been deployed to seven of the 13 countries, with full deployment of all teams in all countries expected by the end of the week.

The WHO is sending essential equipment for screening and management of suspect cases at airports and entry points.

The note highlighted that while top priority countries represent the main field of WHO action, the United Nations will support all countries in the African region to prepare for the new coronavirus.

“WHO is working with partners to strengthen the level of preparedness in certain areas, including raising community awareness and increasing treatment capacities if necessary,” the organisation said.

In the African region, the top priority countries, in addition to Angola, are Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The organisation said that many countries are taking advantage of the knowledge they gained during a flu pandemic to get ready, as the coronavirus causes flu-like diseases.

The note said that the countries’ experience in preventing and combating the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018 has led to increased surveillance capacity and case management of infections.

The Angolan government said on Thursday that it had imposed compulsory quarantine for all passengers from China and currently has 40 citizens under observation who had returned on flights in recent days.

According to the Angolan foreign minister, Manuel Augusto, the quarantine applies to Angolan citizens, Chinese or other nationalities arriving from China or who have been in contact with affected people, to prevent contagion with the coronavirus, which has already caused 563 deaths in China.

“We already have a reference hospital in Barra do Kwanza, where there are 40 citizens who arrived on flights a few days ago,” the head of Angolan diplomacy said.

Manuel Augusto said that the government is complying with international standards, and creating conditions to preserve public health, admitting that the measures are not nice and can disturb economic activity because some partners and workers may be covered by this need for quarantine.

WHO’s top priority countries in Africa: