The World Health Organization has commended South Africa for its response towards the COVID-19 pandemic, despite being the hardest-hit country in Africa.
In a virtual address at a ceremony to welcome WHO experts to Pretoria, South Africa, Director-General Tedros Adhanom said the efforts by the country’s government had ensured the pandemic was on a declining trend.
“South Africa is one of the hardest-hit in Africa. The government’s prompt and robust response to the pandemic of course gives us reason for optimism, as cases have recently been decreasing. And anything can be turned around, but now is not the time to let our guard down,” said Tedros.
South Africa is the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, having reported 572,865 confirmed cases and 11,270 deaths.
Globally, the number of COVID-19 infections in South Africa are only shadowed by figures posted by the United States, Brazil, India and Russia.
The country has registered 52.6 percent of Africa’s total cases and 45.5 percent of its fatalities.
In his address, Tedros also called for efforts to deal with expected long-term effects of the pandemic.
“Even as we are dealing with the immediate response, we must focus our efforts on mitigating the long-term effects of the pandemic, including major disruptions to essential health services, schooling, nutrition and livelihoods,” he said.
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