Currently, international and local media are engaged in reporting about the new coronavirus as it is causing mass destruction in the world. Some of them are concerned that the impact could be even worse in poor ones.
As of June 5th, the number of Coronavirus cases exceeds 6.7 million all over the world. Of these, 3.2 million infectious people are recovered, while 394,543 are confirmed deaths.
Since the affirmation of the first case on 13 March 2020, Ethiopia has so far confirmed 1805 cases of coronavirus which kills 19 people as of June 05, 2020.
Cognizant of the fact, the government of Ethiopia intensified its preventative measures to contain the spread of the virus. At this time, the government gives prior attention to combat COVID-19 at national and continental level in cooperation with other major international donors and civil society organizations.
In this regard, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres says the coronavirus pandemic is the greatest test since the formation of the United Nations after World War II, according to a “call to action”.
In the United states, the total number of reported cases nearing two million, and with over110,000 deaths from COVID-19 so far. Now the pandemic continues to send shock waves around the planet, shuttering entire economies and plunging global health, development, and humanitarian organizations into a prolonged and worldwide crisis.
As the coronavirus spreads in wealthy and low-income countries, concerns are mounting to the accessibility of crucial medical equipment, ventilators, and other essential items.
In Ethiopia, apart from rushing to access medical equipment from donors, the government should intensify the creation of more awareness among the people about the dangers of the spreading disease since most of the people show negligence and unpreparedness. The government must also constantly look at ways the people can improve their culture regarding social distancing and other protective measures. It has to find strong mechanisms in place to make sure that appropriate action is taken if employees experience an issue at work.
If the Ethiopian government does not now curtail the spread of the virus by introducing the strictest of bans on public gatherings, and ordering all shops that do not sell food to close, the 20 deaths will soon become 50, 100, 500, 1000, 10000 and so on.
Since Ethiopia is not special, the people and government of Ethiopia will be battling the virus more, as we can see from other countries. The virus will hit the society just as much as it has done elsewhere. Our only chance of avoiding the collapse of the health system and the economy, and a crisis of enormous proportions, is to not delay action.
Indeed, the government of Ethiopia is frequently announcing the progress and other protective measures. But, there should not now be a single place where people gather, except to buy basic goods. There should be police officers in the streets of every town and city, enforcing the ban on public gatherings. It is a matter of life and death, not of individual freedom.
If the government does not enforce the strictest of control measures now, Ethiopia as well as other countries in the region, and the whole continent will be at war soon. The dead and dying will overwhelm the health system.
Of course, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Ministry of Health called on peoples for enhancing the intensity of vigilance and strict adherence to health guidelines and other measures in order to combat the spread of COVID-19.
This is the time for Ethiopians to redirect their energy from panic fear and worry towards purposeful contributions to fight against the virus. Developed countries need to cooperate with Africa in terms of finance and donation of protective materials, because the virus is the strongest unless it can be beaten at global level. Because, if Covid-19 is not defeated in Africa, it will only bounce back to the rest of the world.
Although fighting the spread of Covid-19 at national levels is commendable, it would not bear positive results in the end unless the Rich Nations help the developing countries fight the virus too.
Moreover, the country has launched a national resource mobilization committee with a mission to coordinate the possible cooperation of gathering financial and non-financial materials in the efforts to prevent COVID-19 at national level.
In sum, while the government action is doubtless crucial at this time, individual action is more important. Each and every member of society must now do their part. Currently, the whole Europe and America are more or less on lockdown. It’s a strange, uncertain time. Now is the time to enforcing strictest control measures against Covid-19 in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian herald June 6,2020
BY ZELALEM GIRMA
