WHO deploys 'surge team' of 43 health experts to South Africa to help with pandemic

As COVID-19 runs rampant across the world, the World Health Organization’s surge team arrived in South Africa to help the country to battle the ongoing pandemic. The country has recorded a total of 530,000 cases, the fifth-highest in the world, and reported nearly 9,298 fatalities.

As per several international reports, WHO has deployed a surge team of 43 experts from various fields to help South Africa in containing the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a recent statement, WHO stated that the first 17 health experts will be arriving on August 6. The team of 17 health experts includes key experts from epidemiology, surveillance, case management, infection, prevention and control, procurement, as well as community mobilization and health education.

One of the experts is Dr David Heymann, an infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert. He has also headed the response to the SARS epidemic in 2003, working with his team to combat the spread of the pandemic. As per several reports, the deployment of experts came after discussions with the country’s health ministry. The surge team will observe the health department’s response management to the ongoing crisis.

They will also overlook how the country’s health department is supporting state COVID-19 activities. The surge team will also offer support in four of the worst-affected states: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, and Mpumalanga. Reportedly, the country's health minister Zweli Mkwize recently said that the cases in Gauteng, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape have slowed down in recent weeks, but it's too soon to say if the nation has reached its peak.

Read: COVID-19 Infects 24,000 Health Workers In South Africa Including 181 Fatalities

Read: South Africa Sees Dip In New Virus Cases But Warns Of Return

Current situation in South Africa and worldwide

According to several reports, ever since the pandemic hit the country, unions have prompted fears over the safety and availability in hospitals. They have also raised concerns about the quality of the service that the medical outlets are providing to its citizens. Reports suggest that the overall caseload has risen rapidly in the country in the past few weeks. However, the daily increase has slowed down.

South Africa has been the first epi-center for COVID-19 in Africa, and health experts have warned that the rest of the continent may see a similar outbreak of the virus. Meanwhile, the coronavirus cases worldwide have surpassed 18.5 million and now stand at 18,635,877. The death toll globally has topped 700,000, recording 702,903 deaths. The US, which is the worst-affected nation by the virus, accounts for 157,690 of these fatalities.

Read: Virus Keeps Tourists From Africa's Great Wildlife Migration

Read: In Africa, Stigma Surrounding Coronavirus Hinders Response

(Image credit: AP)