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Africa will survive Covid-19; It survived slave trade, colonisation

Saturday April 18 2020
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A number of African residents and businessmen residing in China's southern city of Guangzhou stranded in streets in Guangzhou, southern China, after being evicted from apartments and hotels due to COVID-19 fears. PHOTO | COURTESY

By ALICE WAIRIMU NDERITU

I had vowed not to write about Covid-19 again, after having written in the past four weeks on how Africans can come together to show utu (humanity) to each other, enhance food security, improve health systems and combat racism, all of which are huge concerns in the face of Covid-19.

I, however, find myself drawn, like a moth to a lamp, to this never-ending Covid-19 story.

For many, once in a lifetime events like curfews, quarantines, and lockdowns happening, it does seem as if we should keep speaking about Covid-19. Shouldn’t we?

Despite the often-cited status as the most vulnerable in infectious disease vulnerability, there are relatively low numbers of Covid-19 cases in Africa.

Pessimistic predictions depict a continent ill-equipped to deal with the pandemic. As we wait for what the future portends, here are things we wish to see.

We wish to see community healthcare workers recognised and equipped with loads of information on Covid-19 prevention, transverse all our towns and villages.

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Community health workers constitute the face of healthcare delivery for many, trusted by grandmothers and shopkeepers and highly regarded by most, wherever they serve. They play critical roles, tailored to meet the needs of the communities in improving health service.

They played a key role in HIV/Aids treatment and management. Their power lies in the ability to reach the most remote of villages, speak local languages, provide support information on chronic diseases prevention, physical activity and nutrition.

Create connections

They also provide counselling and recommend referrals. They create connections between hospitals and isolated populations made vulnerable by distance or other circumstances and provide support to people with disabilities.

This is a time, for purposes of ensuring good healthcare systems for now and the future, to hire more community health workers, enhance their capacity to address health issues and build their knowledge to collect data in the communities to inform policy.

Other than academic texts, we do not seem to have much in the way of written accounts on how Africa worked to combat pandemics and epidemics such as HIV/Aids and Ebola.

Lucid answers

Artistes need to find creative ways to frame the right questions and provide lucid answers to explain the Covid-19 calamity confronting humanity to future generations.

We need movie and television scripts, plays, poetry, novels, short stories, memoirs and personal essays to bring the message home.

We wish to see African governments initiating national and continental conversations on racism against Africans in their own countries and in the diaspora and establish or strengthen legislation and institutions which can address the lack of knowledge on what to do or where to report when faced with racist attacks or behaviour.

We wish to discuss the absence of robust domestic cultures to take on racism, or reprisals against those who report racist behaviour particularly in workplaces.

Could we see more aggressive reporting of racism against Africans made public in mainstream media? The African Union has played a pivotal role in carrying the aspirations of its predecessor body, the Organisation of African Unity which included political and economic integration and eradicating colonialism and neo-colonialism.
As regards racism on Africans, the future of African governments depends on whether they will lead the way on substance, enhance visibility and broaden the ownership of an antiracist agenda against Africans to the African Union.

Calls for funding Covid-19 related initiatives in Africa, targeting international organisations are already out. We wish to see governments not ceding authority on dealing with the pandemic in Africa to international organisations.

Good work
Pandemics and disasters provide opportunities for some well-funded international organisations, to do some good work but also in some cases some very bad things, including sex scandals.

International organisations brand themselves as providing services that governments do not, however, research when conducted is often about the funding countries own interests.

With much of the funding going towards administrative and accounting costs and salaries of foreign workers who also occupy the senior most positions, the true value of the services provided may be in dispute.

Borders have closed everywhere, and governments are taking care of their own Covid-19 responses. International organisations generally account to their funders and as Covid-19 is a life and death issue Africans must take the lead on their own lives.

This is a time for Africa’s cross fertilisation of ideas on Covid-19, learning from and trading with each other. Governments should enhance policy coordination particularly on health and food security and nurture human capital through education and healthcare.

Africa will survive Covid-19. The continent survived the slave trade, colonisation and the Cold War. African governments should mobilise us all to tap into our community ties to effectively fight this Covid-19 pandemic!

WairimuNderitu is the author of Beyond Ethnicism. Mukami Kimathi, Mau Mau Freedom Fighter and Kenya: Bridging Ethnic Divides, [email protected]

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