Kenya will have to ramp up testing, isolation of contacts and treatment of patients, as well as enhancing proven prevention measures in the wake of the new Covid-19 variant.
The World Health Organization warned that if care is not taken, the variant will fuel the country’s second wave that has been slowing down in the past weeks.
The global health agency is already working to track and tackle new variants by helping countries build and boost the complex genomic surveillance capacities needed to detect and respond to new variants, shipping samples to sequencing laboratories and providing supplies and technical guidance.
“Our shared goal is to get ahead of the virus. Unfortunately, the journey will be longer, harder and far more costly in the absence of consistent, all-of-society commitments to blocking infection,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti said.
Moeti is the World Health Organization’s regional director for Africa.
The 501Y.V2 variant, first identified in South Africa, is predominant and powering record case numbers in South Africa and the sub-region.
The variant has now been found in Kenya, Botswana, Ghana, Comoros, Zambia and in 24 non-African nations, the WHO has said.
So far, the agency in collaboration with Africa Centres of Disease Control and Prevention has set up a Covid-19 genomic sequencing laboratory network with laboratories in several countries including Kenya.
Countries without the labs will be required to ship at least 20 samples to sequencing laboratories every month to help map the fast-evolving situation and best target responses at all levels.
“In addition to the new variants, Covid-19 fatigue and the aftermath of year-end gatherings risk powering a perfect storm and driving up Africa’s second wave and overwhelming health facilities,” Moeti said.
“Africa is at a crossroads. We must stick to our guns and double down on the tactics we know work so well. That is mask wearing, hand washing and safe social distancing. Countless lives depend on it.”
According to WHO, more than 175,000 new Covid-19 cases and more than 6,200 deaths were reported in Africa in the last week alone.
Similarly, infections rose by 50 per cent on the continent between December 29 and 25 January compared with the previous four weeks.
