COVID-19 is a global health emergency that exposed the gaps in health systems globally, especially in sub-Saharan Africa home to many fragile healthcare systems and a region beset with a large burden of disease. Various mitigation strategies have been put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 and management of patients in sub-Saharan Africa. However, much still need to be done. Digital health provides the promise for the continent to bridge the gap in decreasing the negative impact of COVID-19 and effectively mitigate the pandemic. This commentary argues how countries in sub-Saharan Africa need to embrace the use of digital health in public health interventions to vigorously mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and to contribute towards attaining universal health coverage (UHC).
Background The African continent currently experiences 25% of the global burden of disease with only 1.3% of the world’s healthcare workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to medical education systems, increasing the strain on already-vulnerable regions. Our study examines the impact of COVID-19 on medical students across 33 countries in the African continent. Methods A 39-item anonymous electronic survey was developed and distributed to medical students across Africa through social networks to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education. The survey assessed the domains of: class structure changes and timing, patient interactions, exam administration, learning environment satisfaction, mental health impacts, and volunteer opportunities/engagement. Results 694 students across 33 countries participated. 80% of respondents had their classes suspended for varied lengths of time during the pandemic, and from these students 59% of them resumed their classes. 83% of students felt they were in a supportive learning environment before the pandemic, which dropped to 32% since the start. The proportion of students taking exams online increased (6–26%, p<0.001) and there was a decrease in the proportion of students seeing patients as a part of their education (72–19%, p<0.001). Conclusions COVID-19 is harming medical students in Africa and is likely to worsen the shortage of the future’s healthcare workforce in the region. Pandemic-related impacts have led to a degradation of the learning environment of medical students. Medical schools have shifted online to differing degrees and direct patient-care in training of students has decreased. This study highlights the urgent need for flexible and innovative approaches to medical education in Africa.
Community transmission of COVID-19 is currently on the rise in Ethiopia, while availability of diagnostic and treatment services remains limited. Impaired access to essential services is affected by the pandemic’s strain on the health system, and as a consequence of the country’s public health response. The ongoing conflict in the Tigray Region provides another obstacle to accessing and providing care for the local population; and has displaced large numbers of people both within and outside the country. In this commentary we discuss the impact of the conflict on essential services and argue that a coordinated holistic response is essential to mitigate both short and long-term consequences of the conflict, including increased COVID-19 transmission, acute malnutrition, disruption of education services, displacement of people, and food insecurities. We highlight the important role of community engagement in prevention and early detection of these challenges, and the need for comprehensive interventions in the region.
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