From Easing Lockdowns to Scaling Up Community-based Coronavirus Disease 2019 Screening, Testing, and Contact Tracing in Africa-Shared Approaches, Innovations, and Challenges to Minimize Morbidity and Mortality.
Jean B Nachega, Ashraf Grimwood, Hassan Mahomed, Geoffrey Fatti, Wolfgang Preiser, Oscar Kallay, Placide K Mbala, Jean-Jacques T Muyembe, Edson Rwagasore, Sabin Nsanzimana, Daniel Ngamije, Jeanine Condo, Mohsin Sidat, Emilia V Noormahomed, Michael Reid, Beatrice Lukeni, Fatima Suleman, Alfred Mteta, Alimuddin Zumla
Author Information
Jean B Nachega: Department of Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
Ashraf Grimwood: Kheth'Impilo AIDS Free Living, Cape Town, South Africa.
Hassan Mahomed: Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Western Cape Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa.
Geoffrey Fatti: Kheth'Impilo AIDS Free Living, Cape Town, South Africa.
Wolfgang Preiser: Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and National Health Laboratory Service, Cape Town, South Africa.
Oscar Kallay: Department of Ophthalmology, Erasme Hospital, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Placide K Mbala: National Institute of Biomedical Research and Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Jean-Jacques T Muyembe: National Institute of Biomedical Research and Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Edson Rwagasore: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Kigali, Rwanda.
Sabin Nsanzimana: Rwanda Biomedical Center, Kigali, Rwanda.
Daniel Ngamije: Rwanda Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
Jeanine Condo: University of Rwanda, School of Public Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
Mohsin Sidat: Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.
Emilia V Noormahomed: Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.
Michael Reid: Department of Medicine, HIV, Infectious Diseases & Global Medicine Division, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Beatrice Lukeni: Resilient and Responsive Health Systems Project, ICAP at Columbia University, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fatima Suleman: Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Alfred Mteta: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, United Republic of Tanzania.
Alimuddin Zumla: Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
The arrival of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the African continent resulted in a range of lockdown measures that curtailed the spread of the infection but caused economic hardship. African countries now face difficult choices regarding easing of lockdowns and sustaining effective public health control measures and surveillance. Pandemic control will require efficient community screening, testing, and contact tracing; behavioral change interventions; adequate resources; and well-supported, community-based teams of trained, protected personnel. We discuss COVID-19 control approaches in selected African countries and the need for shared, affordable, innovative methods to overcome challenges and minimize mortality. This crisis presents a unique opportunity to align COVID-19 services with those already in place for human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, malaria, and non communicable diseases through mobilization of Africa's interprofessional healthcare workforce. By addressing the challenges, the detrimental effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on African citizens can be minimized.
