SENEGAL’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19: HOW THEY GOT IT RIGHT
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There’s no surprise that many across the world are struggling with the effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. The restriction of everyday activities and doing most activities within the home has had a profound impact on people.
When many people think about countries that have successfully handled COVID-19, they might start by thinking of New Zealand, Taiwan, or Australia. However, one country you might not expect, Senegal, has been ranked in the top five countries who have successfully handled the pandemic [3]. Most countries are just trying to get by in terms of the pandemic, but Senegal has set a precedent with their response.
About 8 months into the pandemic, Senegal has reported approximately 15,500 cases and 321 deaths [2]. This is due to their planning and quick response to the virus, even before it had crossed Senegal’s borders.
When the World Health Organization declared the pandemic an international public health emergency, Senegal’s government began to devise a contingency plan before they saw any cases within their country. Dr. Abdoulaye Bousso, the director of the Senegal Health Emergency Operations Center, was a leader in planning and controlling the coronavirus. With a robust background and ties with the World Health Organization, Dr. Bousso’s expertise in health emergencies and disaster management made him the perfect person to help lead the country through the pandemic. [1]
As Senegal began seeing cases, strict curfews and travel restrictions were issued- which started to contain the spread. They began quarantining patients who had tested positive to keep them away from family and community members they had potentially come into contact with. To keep transparency between government officials and citizens of Senegal, officials from the health ministry delivered an update on the virus day including the number of new cases, the number of recovered patients, and the number of deaths.
Initiatives in Senegal were successful in controlling the spread of the coronavirus within their nation and other countries may take notes in order to take the same amount of control within their own country.
Author: Michele Cook
Health Emergency Operations Center. (2020). Dr. Abdoulaye Bousso. http://www.cousenegal.sn/en/staffmember/dr-bousso/
Ministry of Health and Social Action. (2020, October 22). Press release 235 of October 22, 2020. http://www.sante.gouv.sn/sites/default/files/COMMUNIQUE%20235%20DU%2022%20OCTOBRE%202020.pdf
Partridge-Hicks, S. (2020, September 11). 5 countries that are getting COVID-19 responses right. Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/countries-with-best-covid-responses/