The World Health Organisation has published a situation report on Covid-19 in Zimbabwe.
While Zimbabwe has not reported any cases of the disease which has claimed over 6,000 lives world wide, it has been actively working to screen and test for it since 22 January 2020.
In part it reads:
Coordination of COVID 19 preparedness activities have continued at national and subnational levels since the activation of these structures in January 2020. The RRTs meet on a regular basis to monitor implementation of COVID-19 preparedness and response activities including surveillance of travelers from COVID-19 affected countries. The Minister of Health and Child Care and Permanent Secretary met with Global fund to discuss on funding for the COVID 19 preparedness and response activities.
A case management TOT was held in Kadoma where 240 people received case management training. The Deputy Minister of Health Child Care, Dr. J Mangwiro opened the training and he emphasized on strengthening coordination, partnership as well as risk communication in COVID-19 preparedness and response.
The participants developed the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plans in accordance with
the pillars below:
Pillar 1. Country-level coordination, planning and monitoring
Pillar 2 Risk communication, and community engagement
Pillar 3 Surveillance, Rapid response teams and case investigation
Pillar 4 Points of entry
Pillar 5 National Laboratory
Pillar 6 Infection Prevention and control
Pillar 7 Case Management
Pillar 8 Operational support and logistics
During the workshop the health workers and stakeholders developed the standard operational procedures for different pillars and these will be ready for dissemination next week. The SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance in COVID 19 preparedness and response
Screening of passengers arriving from COVID 19 affected countries commenced on the 22nd of January 2020. As of 11 March 2020, 9 505 passengers arriving from countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases were screened at RGM International Airport and other points of entry.
- Laboratory – The National Microbiology Reference Laboratory has continued to test suspected cases and as of 13 March 2010, 14 samples were tested, and all were negative.
- Case Management and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) – To strengthen COVID- 19 Case Management, the Ministry is identifying additional isolation centers at Provincial levels. Standard Operational Procedures for isolation of patients, referral of patients and ambulance services were developed, and these are expected to be finalized in the coming week.
- Rapid Response Teams – The RRTs in Bulawayo and Mashonaland East responded to two alerts each and these cases were found not to meet COVID case definition. All the RRTs in the country remain at an alert mode.
- Risk Communication – The Ministry of Health and Child Care has started releasing daily press release on COVID 19 and these update serves to inform the public with reliable and authoritative source of information. Key messages on COVID 19 are also sent to communities through bulk SMS using the ECONET platform. In Matabeleland South, a sensitization meeting for the Provincial Development committee was done and more than 100 people were in attendance.
- Logistics – WHO received a consignment of the Viral mini kits for isolation of Viral RNA from cell free body fluids and this will be handed to National Microbiology Reference Lab.
Priority actions
- Finalisation and launch of COVID-19 preparedness and response plan by next week.
- Strengthen capacity for entry screening of all arrivals at other international airports
- Ensure daily submission of all screening data for analysis, as well as monitoring data on all arrivals from COVID-19 countries.
- Continue to disseminate health promotion messages and materials.
- Scale up training of key health workers (RRTs, clinicians at identified isolation sites, laboratory staff, health promotion and risk communication staff and staff at points of entry) in conformity with WHO guidelines for detection and response to COVID-19 transmission.
- Finalize, print and disseminate draft protocol for transporting cases that meet the case definition of suspect cases with COVID-19 to designated hospitals.
- Finalize ongoing activities aimed at strengthening in-country capacity for laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19.
- Weekly meeting of national Technical Team overseeing the implementation of priority response activities.
For the full document download below
Comments
Loading…