African govts need to help cushion rural communities from COVID-19

As the African continent is urged to brace itself for a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections, the World Health Organization indicates that nearly 20 countries in Africa have seen a more than 20 percent increase in cases over the past four weeks.

Several African countries have confirmed virus cases in the six figures. South Africa leads with more than 750,000, while Morocco has more than 300,000, Egypt over 110,000 and Ethiopia more than 100,000.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa recorded an 8 percent rise in new coronavirus cases in the past month.

Measures to address and respond to COVID-19 in rural communities are needed, as well as suggestions on ways to ensure rural preparedness.

When COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei province, in Central China, no one knew the devastating effect the disease would have caused worldwide.

For the first few days, the health crisis looked like it was going to be contained, and few countries took note. For many African countries, the disease appeared to have been so far away and only a few, if any, believed it would have reached the shores of the continent.

When the first cases were recorded in Africa, it set off panic modes across the entire continent, and like many other countries in the world, governments quickly began to issue international travel restrictions. Events rapidly unfolded and further travel restrictions were issued, locking down most capitals and big cities and blocking access to rural areas.

For the entire period during the restrictions, reported cases of infections were low, particularly in rural communities.

Seemingly, travel restrictions and other stringent measures were hurting the economy, while poor and marginalized communities, especially in rural areas, were experiencing a devastating economic impact.

Over time, governments across the continent were unable to cope under stringent control measures. The most logical strategy was therefore to open the economy and capitalize more on sensitization messages and individual responsibility among the public.

However, this move did not achieve its intended objective, leading to high infection rates among rural communities. In this second wave, the elderly and people living with underlying health conditions became further at risk.

Local hospitals have been struggling to provide efficient healthcare services, and facilities are being overwhelmed.

It is estimated that more than 62 percent of the African population live in rural areas and suffer distinctive challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. They remain the most vulnerable and are confronted by weak or nonexistent healthcare structures, limited food supply and a thin medical workforce.

The largest percentages of the older population and people living with disabilities are in rural areas. These populations have higher risks of contracting chronic diseases and have higher rates of cases with underlying health conditions.

Thus, the risk of contracting the virus is high among those in this population: They have lower resilience compared with their counterparts in urbanized communities.

Governments and policymakers in the field of public health may use tailor-made messages, policies and programs designed to counter the risk of the spread of COVID-19.

The plan of action should include how to engage local communities in safety awareness campaign measures. In many instances, residents and media may have creative ways of coping with the disease.

It will also be important for these communities to partner with key stakeholders who can offer emergency support in terms of the supply of medical equipment, drugs and other necessary items.

The government must therefore rethink the establishment of a rural healthcare system with a particular focus on mitigating the effects of COVID-19 among rural communities.

The strategy should propose a framework under which local community leaders, community-based organizations, businesses and residents come together to assess the needs and risks of their respective communities and link them to their corresponding mitigation measures.

Governments should further coordinate efforts, in collaboration with local partners, to review regular developments in the management of the disease at the local level.

Above all, in the intervention framework, consideration and special guidelines are needed to protect special groups like people living with disabilities, as well as children and older people.

The author is a lecturer at Kenyatta University and a senior research fellow at the Africa Policy Institute, a Kenya-based think tank.