The world is facing a coronavirus health crisis with social and economic implications. A health crisis due to an emerging virus that is destabilizing the entire world. This is therefore the time to express solidarity between peoples and to strengthen cooperation and partnerships between the various health actors in Africa.
Indeed, in order to respond to the health emergency that Mercy Ships has made every effort to come to the aid of African governments and health care institutions by creating a fund for Africa.
The fund will be used for the purchase of medical equipment, the organization of online health facilities to provide emergency assistance, prevention and specific care for patients with VID19 in Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Benin and Cameroon as part of the « Stop Coronavirus in Africa » initiative.
Indeed, it should be noted that for 30 years, Mercy Ships has been involved in the strengthening of health systems in Africa. Today, in order to face the pandemic and to stop the coronavirus on the continent, the international NGO is mobilized to support local health systems by promoting access to quality medical and health assistance for the poorest.
Since the beginning of the health crisis, Africa seemed to be spared by the coronavirus, but in recent months it has been increasingly concerned by its spread. Moreover, experts stress the fact that the number of reported cases is largely underestimated, and that the epidemic will have devastating consequences on African populations. While Western countries with stable and efficient health systems have been badly shaken and hit by the pandemic, Africa, on the other hand, does not have an adequate system at all levels, a deficit characterized by the lack of hospitals, beds, caretakers, care … In short, Africa lacks … everything!
The health systems of the countries of West and Central Africa, for example, are very fragile, as an official of the NGO Mercy Ships pointed out to us. The population does not have access to reliable, affordable and timely health care. According to him, the insufficient health infrastructure will accelerate the circulation of the coronavirus and will have catastrophic consequences. It is in anticipation of this threat that Mercy Ships has decided to provide support to the mainland to combat the spread of the virus on the one hand, and to support local health systems on the other.
Indeed, in reference to the excellent partnership relations with African governments, some of whose countries have been hosting Mercy Ships hospital ship missions for more than 20 years, providing free surgery to the continent’s poor populations in the former programme support framework. In the framework of the headquarters agreement between the NGO and several African countries, the NGO has undertaken to carry out a major mission of health support in the context of the fight against the eradication of the Coronavirus.
Mercy Ships, through the humanitarian commitment of its founder Don Stephens, relayed by its President and CEO Tom Stogner and implemented by its Director General for Africa Dr Pierre M’Pelé, has been undertaking for several weeks through the WHO Africa Office in accordance with the collaboration agreement signed on 18 August 2018 between Mercy Ships and the WHO Regional Office for Africa contributes to strengthening the response to the Covid pandemic19 through the initiative « Stop Coronavirus in Africa ». The perfect knowledge of the infrastructures on the ground on the continent as well as the quality of the relations that already exist between certain African countries allow this NGO to achieve a rapid and maximum impact.
Thus, it is in this perspective that Mercy Ships has sent donations of medical equipment for the local healthcare personnel fighting against Covid19 , including the supply of face masks, shoe covers, safety glasses and face shields for Infrared Thermometers . The NGO has, among other things, set up online training sessions to guide and support local healthcare professionals in their daily care of people severely affected by Covid19 .
In addition to sending donations of sanitary equipment, the Mercy Ships Foundation also supports prevention campaigns, to inform the local population of the risks and impact of the virus by offering ways to protect themselves from it. This humanitarian initiative consists of supporting the efforts of governments in African countries such as Madagascar, Liberia, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Congo in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, these countries have already received important donations of health assistance equipment from the NGO.
Dr. Mpelé, Mercy Ships’ Director General for Africa, explains that the people of Africa have a special place in the hearts of the volunteers and crew of the Africa Mercy « Hospital Ship » which criss-crosses the continent’s coasts to bring hope for health. This is how he assures us in the interview we had with him that: « together, we will defeat this new scourge and it is also the appropriate moment to congratulate ourselves on the considerable efforts made so far by the government, the African governmental partners » to respond effectively to the coronavirus pandemic.
From the preceding, it is appropriate to underline, in the context of a health event of this magnitude, that the world cannot function in a vacuum. This initiative is also a way of showing that a time of crisis can be turned into an opportunity to create synergies and collaborate beyond our borders in order to successfully carry out the continental response to the pandemic of the Covid-19.
R.F.M
