As COVID-19 cases in Africa continue to rise, there is an increasing demand from African countries for information sharing to better prepare for the outbreak of the virus.
UNAIDS and WeDoctor organized a webinar bringing together health practitioners from China, Uganda and South Sudan to share experiences and knowledge in COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
“Fortunately, the eastern and southern African region has had time to prepare for the virus and this gives us the advantage to learn from the experience of countries that have gone through the journey successfully. Today is an opportunity to share this expertise,” said Aeneas Chuma, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa a.i..
Wu Zunyou, Chief Epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Luo Congjuan, Chief Physician from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, shared their frontline experience in COVID-19 containment. They were joined by approximately 180 health professionals from Uganda Medical Association and South Sudan Doctors’ Union.
Mr Wu gave detailed account of how the pandemic broke out in China, the measures taken to stop the spread of the virus, and how makeshift hospitals work. He and Ms Luo also outlined what made China’s success in controlling COVID-19, what experiences Africa can adopt, and what main challenges exist with diagnostic tests.
The webinar was the second of its kind organized by UNAIDS and WeDoctor, a medical service provider from China; the first being an interaction with the Kenya Medical Women’s Association in April.
