The Pan African medical journal
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The potential threat of COVID-19 pandemic on the continuity of care for cancer patients is thought to be significant. Oncologists are weighing up the balance of risks and benefits carefully when planning daily cancer care and making treatment decisions in the face of rapid change during this public health crisis. This report describes management strategies and care models that have been adopted by a single Medical Oncology department in a North Africa, Morocco.
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As the novel coronavirus continues to spread globally and across Africa, efforts are being accelerated to identify effective preventive and therapeutic measures to mitigate its burden. Convalescent plasma and hyperimmune immunoglobulin are being considered as potential therapeutic options for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We highlight and contextualize the findings of a recent Cochrane rapid review that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of convalescent plasma or hyperimmune immunoglobulin transfusion in the treatment of people with COVID-19. ⋯ The evidence was limited by the small number of participants and low-quality of included studies, as well as the inconsistency of outcome measures and reporting across studies. As African countries brace for the further spread of the virus, while exploring potential therapeutic options to mitigate its morbidity and mortality at peak, convalescent plasma transfusion may offer a therapeutic ray of hope for the continent. Considering the limited evidence of the effectiveness and safety in the treatment of COVID-19, it is imperative for this therapy to be investigated within African contexts to ascertain not only its effectiveness and safety, but also its practical implications within the capacity of national blood transfusion services and health systems in the region.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted immunization activities in many countries, causing declines in the delivery of routine doses of antigens, and the postponement of scheduled supplemental immunization activities (SIAs). Following the declaration of the pandemic, Ethiopia postponed nationwide follow-up measles preventive vaccination campaign which was scheduled for April 2020. The disruptions to routine services and the postponement of the SIAs increased the risk for measles outbreaks. ⋯ Infection prevention and control supplies were procured and distributed as a package with the bundled vaccines and other supplies. The SIAs were completed in July 2020 and reached 102.8% administrative coverage nationwide, with 78% of the 1123 woredas attaining the target of 95% coverage. The strong commitment of the leadership, the coordination role of the national and regional COVID prevention and control taskforces, the engagement of community leaders, the use of multi-channel communication, the timely availability of additional resources and modification of the service delivery approaches contributed to the success of the SIAs.
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an unprecedented pandemic. COVID-19 is a highly contagious and potentially fatal respiratory infection which has spread within three months of its outbreak to more than 173 countries, causing 3.7 million infections and 256,551 deaths at this writing. Unfortunately, no treatment or vaccine currently exists for COVID-19, although several clinical trials are on-going to find a definite solution to this pandemic. ⋯ However, intimate partner violence has been reportedly described as a real violation of women's right before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the African continent. This commentary highlights the effects of intimate partner violence due to COVID-19 confinement in France and extrapolates what may be the effect of an implementation of a COVID-19 confinement law in Cameroon. Also, the authors suggest recommendations to lessen the burden of intimate partner violence in countries with a stay-at-home policy.