Kagoro, urges blacks to behave wisely in face of COVID 19

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By Brian Kagoro

I appeal to you fellow Africans STOP becoming pawns in propaganda wars about COVID-19, it’s origin, cause and its cure. Your choice of life or death is based on the ability to construct a care ecosystem around you where you keep each other mutually accountable.

Let’s remember that non- pharmaceutical solutions to any pandemic such as washing hands with soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer , physical distancing and wearing masks are necessary because of the following:-

1. Our scientific data on COVID-19 is still frankly a moving target

2. There is no vaccine yet for COVID-19. The trials thus far done are not the same as universally accessible care, treatment and support. Amongst us live many with underlying pre-existing vulnerabilities, including: high blood pressure, Asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, heart disease and so on and so forth. Don’t precipitate yours and their demise

3. We have very limited hospital bed space for severe COVID-19 cases. We also don’t have adequate Oxygen supply. In several countries there are severe shortages of PPE and basic medicines

4. Our healthcare labour force is seriously stretched , scared and have very poor working conditions . We need serious packages of insurance and social security for them.

5. Health budgets, health infrastructure and levels of skill/ know how to apply @WHO protocols remains low or poor . African governments were not as keen to invest 15% of their budgets to strengthen primary healthcare. It also didn’t help matters much that donors often divert national health investments towards a single pandemic to the detriment of other critical health concerns. We must avoid the COVIDIZATION of African healthcare systems.

6. More than 10,000 healthcare workers globally have contracted COVID-19. The number in Africa is growing by the day. We can reverse this trend by doing simple but practical things

7. The levels of corruption with respect to COVID-19 procurement processes are alarming. Without transparency and accountability COVID-19 fatalities will grow as greedy politicians line their pockets and disaster capitalism flourishes

8. Africa’s share of global diagnostics, therapeutics & medicines market is very low. This will not change until we are intentional about investing in the manufacture of a vaccine in Africa. We also need to ramp up testing capabilities using African owned and developed technologies

9. Africa’s debt-to-GDP ratios are galloping ,most African countries face serious liquidity crises. We cannot spend the little money we have servicing debts or importing PPE and medical equipment that we can produce locally

10. The capacity to manufacture much needed PPE and other medical equipment remains low in most countries. Collective action will and can reverse this.

11. Whilst Africa’s fatalities remain less than 3.5% of global total , under 38% of UK, US & Italian fatalities respectively there is need to be vigilant, innovative and strategic. After all it is not a death beauty contest. Any death from COVID-19 in Africa from now on is one death too many.

12. COVID-19 is not a moral disease, but as Everjoice Win suggests, it has taken us back to the late 1980s and early 1990s HIV/AIDS STIGMA & helplessness. The COVID-19 Stigma affects whole companies, families, neighborhoods and etcetera. We cannot stop stigma whilst besieged by ignorance and conspiracy theories. Science and clear communication is needed by all levels of leadership.

13. We are yet to fully appreciate the psychological, social, economic and political implications of COVID-19. Each day we take either a knock or a blow

14. We may have to live with COVID-19 until a successful vaccine is found. If so, what we choose to do each day as individuals and communities may make a huge difference between dying or recovering from COVID-19. So, let’s all aim to be less selfish, less arrogant, less reckless, less negligent and more caring, empathetic and generous

15. For citizens that live in informal settlements, crowded areas with no running water, electricity or food , this is an opportunity to address these structural crises

Remember that your level of Education, popularity, wealth, power, class, race , tribe ,age or poverty will not save you from COVID-19. Keep others safe by keeping safe yourself. It has pained me to see loved ones, colleagues, Comrades…. Great Africans…. buried in a rush and with none of the usual anthropological and sociological features of African send offs. It is what it is!

In combating, mitigating or preventing COVID-19- like HIV/AIDS- behaviour and attitudinal change can help reduce the number of infections and fatalities. Don’t be the one to bring home the virus that kills your parents, spouse, loved ones or neighbours. Don’t be the one that brings to work the virus that kills your workmates.

Recently Ebola taught us the power of a combination of commonsense non pharmaceutical solutions, scientific solutions and inclusive leadership. It taught us the power of COMMUNITY!

Let’s keep the Faith and Keep Hope Alive by behaving wisely!

Brian Kagoro is a respected Zimbabwe lawyer and human rightist