Collaboration Key in Fight against COVID-19, Says Minister

By Emma Okonji

The Minister of state for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, has said collaborative efforts between the private and public sector, helped in no small measure in the fight against the fast spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and Africa.

The minister who said this in a recent interview, commended the active participation of the private and public sector in checkmating the spread of the pandemic.

According to statistics, towards the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak hit the world. Over a year later, there have been more than 191 million confirmed cases. In March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic due to the fast spread of the virus.

As the pandemic persisted, socioeconomic challenges increased requiring emergency responses from countries. Governments responded with different containment measures while sourcing for a cure.

The statistics explained that African countries leveraged regional collaboration and implemented lockdowns and border closures as soon as the first few cases were reported.

The Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Program (REDISSE) mobilised funding to help 13 countries in West Africa with entry-point surveillance, reinforced laboratory testing capacity, infection prevention and control, and access to essential medical equipment.

In East Africa, governments leveraged capacities from the East Africa Public Health Laboratory Networking Project in responding to the virus.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) with funding from the World Bank, also mobilised infrastructure and networks to counter the spread of COVID-19 at the regional level.

South Africa executed one of the strictest lockdowns contributing to a remarkable decrease from 42 per cent to four per cent in infection rates.

“Before Nigeria confirmed its first case, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and its partners started mapping out isolation and treatment centres to manage COVID-19.

” Additionally, the NCDC began training health workers on case management, infection prevention control (IPC), surveillance, risk communication, and other areas of epidemic response.

“The Federal Ministry of Health sensitised people at the grassroots about the virus and preventive measures through various campaigns and programs. However, there was a need for joint intervention by the private sector to amplify the efforts of the government in combating the virus,” Mamora said.

Into the pandemic, a private sector-led intervention, Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) was formed.

Spearheaded by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, and Access Bank, it mobilised private sector resources towards supporting the response to the crisis.

As of July 2021, CACOVID has mobilised around N30 billion, which was 35 per cent of its N120 billion target, from private sector organisations in the Finance, Health, FMCG, and Telecommunication sectors.

As a key contributor to reducing the spread of the virus, the telecommunication sector intervention has also been significant in raising public awareness on COVID-19 prevention.

One of such players within the telecommunications sector that has played a role in raising public awareness is IHS Nigeria. The largest subsidiary of IHS Towers.

In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the organisation introduced its awareness intervention in different phases.

In the first phase, the organisation disseminated safety guidelines to underserved communities via radio jingles and flier distribution.

During the second phase, and more recently, the campaign which was aimed at sensitising the public on the risks around the virus focused on four major approaches to reducing the spread. They included handwashing, use of face masks, testing, and vaccination.

In an Instagram live session between Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi, a popular actress and comedian and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, he reiterated the Ministry’s resolve to reach the grassroot through collaborative efforts.

‘’The ministry is hands -on in ensuring that we reach the grassroots and we have a network that enables this. The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency liaise with the state authorities who also have State Development Agencies.

“They link up with the local governments and conduct grassroots administration through their health portfolio. With this collaboration, we reach the communities through the Primary Health centres.

“We also have officials who move around to the remotest part of any state with structures to reach every community,’’ Mamora said.