Urban health nexus with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preparedness and response in Africa: Rapid scoping review of the early evidence

Abstract

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 also called coronavirus disease 2019 was first reported in the African continent on 14 February 2020 in Egypt. As at 18 December 2020, the continent reported 2,449,754 confirmed cases, 57,817 deaths and 2,073,214 recoveries. Urban cities in Africa have particularly suffered the brunt of coronavirus disease 2019 coupled with criticisms that the response strategies have largely been a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. This article reviewed early evidence on urban health nexus with coronavirus disease 2019 preparedness and response in Africa. Methods: A rapid scoping review of empirical and grey literature was done using data sources such as ScienceDirect, GoogleScholar, PubMed, HINARI and official websites of World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 26 full articles (empirical studies, reviews and commentaries) were synthesised and analysed qualitatively based on predefined inclusion criteria on publication relevance and quality. Results: Over 70% of the 26 articles reported on coronavirus disease 2019 response strategies across Africa; 27% of the articles reported on preparedness towards coronavirus disease 2019, while 38% reported on urbanisation nexus with coronavirus disease 2019; 40% of the publications were full-text empirical studies, while the remaining 60% were either commentaries, reviews or editorials. It was found that urban cities remain epicentres of coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa. Even though some successes have been recorded in Africa regarding coronavirus disease 2019 fight, the continent’s response strategies were largely found to be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Consequently, adoption of ‘Western elitist’ mitigating measures for coronavirus disease 2019 containment resulted in excesses and spillover effects on individuals, families and economies in Africa. Conclusion: Africa needs to increase commitment to health systems strengthening through context-specific interventions and prioritisation of pandemic preparedness over response. Likewise, improved economic resilience and proper urban planning will help African countries to respond better to future public health emergencies, as coronavirus disease 2019 cases continue to surge on the continent.

Barriers to COVID-19 Health Products in Low-and Middle-Income Countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Systematic Review and Evidence Synthesis

“…There were 2.3 and 10 ICU beds per 100,000 people, in India and Brazil respectively, and in Brazil half of the beds were in the private sector (45). Malawi had less than 25 critical care beds for 19 million people or 0.1 bed per 100,000 people and Uganda had only 55 critical care beds in 12 operational ICUs for 43 million people, with 80% of them located in Kampala (45,47,91). Only 16% of health facilities in Kenyan counties reportedly had essential equipment to treat COVID-19, with only 22 out of 47 counties having functional ventilators in their ICUs, and in Chad and South Sudan, <10 ventilators served the entire populace (47,60,102).…”

Experiences of postnatal mothers with quality of care including water, sanitation and hygiene amenities during the outbreak of COVID - 19 in Ghana: An institutional cross-sectional study

“…Ghana like many lower-middle income countries (LMICs) has already suffered from the pandemic in terms of the devastating effect on health services organization, provision, and access, particularly in respect of maternal healthcare [ 5 , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. Even though not much empirical evidence exists yet on the real direct impact of COVID-19 on accessibility and utilization of healthcare, the available evidence, stated supra [ 11 , 15 , 16 ], suggests a huge negative impact on general outpatient and inpatient service utilization in many parts of Ghana after the outbreak of the pandemic.…”

“…The topic on healthcare quality has become critical in the wake of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which has devastated health systems and economies of countries across the globe and impinged negatively on access to basic quality healthcare. To address the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries [ 3 , 4 ], including Ghana [ 5 , 6 ], have instituted preventive measures that have resulted in spill over effects, thus, disrupting healthcare systems. These disruptions have consequently affected quality of healthcare including maternal and child health services, in well-resourced countries [ [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] ] and developing countries alike such as Ghana [ [11] , [12] , [13] ].…”

The critical need for WASH in emergency preparedness in health settings, the case of COVID-19 pandemic in Kisumu Kenya

“…In this way, local governments will invest in context-driven emergency preparedness strategies. Alhassan et al (2021) in their scoping review emphasized the ineffectiveness of the one size fit all approach in SSA problem solving. Howard et al (2020) also emphasized the need for context-adapted and disease-focused approaches that involve diverse stakeholders in preparedness.…”