WHO calls for strong surveillance system for passengers as Africa opens its airspace

The World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted the need for a strong surveillance system for passengers as the African continent opens its airspace amid the pandemic. Addressing a press briefing, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, advised countries to make any decision and take action based on the data which requires strong surveillance systems.

“Passenger information should be collected and managed quickly and systematically in collaboration with health authorities. And travellers need to know who to contact and what to do if they start to feel unwell,” said Dr Moeti.

The WHO official emphasised that the risk of coronavirus cannot be reduced to zero in the present circumstance and experts are constantly learning about methods to suppress transmission. She said that points-of-entry screening at land crossings has evolved into testing in some sub-regions, leading to traffic and long queues.

“Protocols have been developed to reduce this. So, I think this tells us something about what might be necessary as far as the opening-up now of air travel,” she added.

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'Strong response measure'

Dr Moeti elaborated on the recommendations saying surfaces like handrails and door handles should be frequently disinfected and physical distancing should be encouraged by leaving seats vacant whenever possible. She said that practising physical distancing, hand hygiene, and wearing a mask over mouths and noses can reduce the risk of transmission.

Last week, coronavirus cases crossed a sombre mark of 10 million cases worldwide, with deaths more than 521,000, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The United States, Brazil, and Russia are the worst-hit countries while India reporting a sharp rise in the coronavirus cases. The UN health agency has warned that the countries not taking the pandemic seriously and refusing to allocate resources to combat the health emergency will face a “long and hard road ahead”.

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