Empowered Social Communities Fight COVID-19 Stronger: WHO Official

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The global fight against COVID-19 warrants high-class surveillance systems coupled with public health and social measures where empowered communities play a key role, a top WHO official said today.

Operational and scientific solutions being devised across countries must be applied practically to continue the steps to counter the pandemic with greater vigour, according to World Health Organisation COVID-19 Technical Lead Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, who is also an acclaimed American epidemiologist

“In 2021, we must redouble our efforts to suppress transmission, protect the vulnerable and save lives in a comprehensive, coordinated and equitable way,” she said at a global summit organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Kerala.

Further, a risk-monitoring framework must be established to evaluate the novel coronavirus, which has its new variants evolving, she said at the ongoing webinar on ‘Kerala Health: Making the SDG A Reality’. “The critical areas of focus comprise a cohesive national leadership that goes for regional and global implementation of strategies, control transmission and prevent amplification events, protect vulnerable groups and accelerate access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines,” the expert said while addressing a session on ‘COVID-19 Pandemic: Health System Response, Resilience and Preparedness’ on the second day of the five-day event.

Kerala Health and Family Welfare Minister K K Shailaja said, in her presidential address, that Kerala’s all-cause mortality in the pandemic-hit 2020 was 10 per cent less than that of the previous year, proving the effectiveness of state’s fight against Covid-19.

This was when Kerala faced greater vulnerability to the coronavirus, given the high presence of non-communicable and lifestyle diseases among its population, Smt Shailaja noted. “Our strategy, starting from Break The Chain, worked well. In testing too, we adopted an innovative strategy,” she said, adding that the government’s Aardram Mission health project since 2017 worked particularly in favour of the people.

That is how the Covid-19 profile peaked much later in the state, despite a population density as high as 860 people per sq km. “Now, we have brought the cases reported down to less than 6,000 per day. That is an encouraging picture,” she added.

Dr Kerkhove, as the chief guest, gave an overview of WHO’s global strategy for COVID-19. The objectives were mobilization of all communities to ensure that every sector participates in preventing cases, controls sporadic cases, suppresses community transmission and reduces mortality through safe therapeutics. “Translating evidence into knowledge and then leading it to coordinated action backed by a dynamic adaptive system is important,” she added.

So far, WHO has shipped close to 300 million items of PPE, diagnostic and medical supplies around the world in its fight against the pandemic, she said.

Health Services Director Dr R L Saritha welcomed the gathering, while Kerala Medical Education Director Dr Remla Beevi proposed thanks.

The webinar series that began on February 17, with focus on the prospects of achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) amid an added challenge posed by Covid-19, is held across five days this month and early March.