One thing is certain: according to scientists, there will be another pandemic in any case.
“We see an acceleration of outbreaks in the 21st century. This is due to human behaviour, such as far too much air travel, cutting down jungles, eating exotic meat, mega stables, mass gatherings,” says Rinke de Wit. “Climate change amplifies this, through mass migration of animals and people.”
1. What impact has covid had compared to HIV and AIDS?
Comparison of HIV and AIDS
“If there are insufficient healthcare providers and weak health systems like in East Africa, a pandemic will have more impact on the health of the population and therefore on the economy,” Gitahi begins. Molecular biologist and Global Health specialist Rinke de Wit agrees: “The death rate from COVID-19 in Africa is 2 to 3 times higher than in official reports. As a result, the pandemic has caused as many deaths as HIV/AIDS in the same period.”
Shadow Pandemic
Spronk emphasizes that the invisible effects (the socio-economic consequences) of crises, which mainly affect girls and young women, must become more visible and that action must be taken proactively. During COVID-19, violence against women and girls increased worldwide. Gitahi illustrates some disastrous consequences in his country: “250.000 girls in Kenya did not go back to school because they were married off so that families had one less mouth to feed. Due to the curfew and the tough intervention of the police, pregnant women could not go to the hospital and had to give birth without care.”
At the same time, more girls became pregnant unintentionally because they could no longer go to school.
2. How do we brace for the next pandemic?
Tunnel vision beyond
Human behavior underlies so-called zoonoses (pandemics that jump out of animals). According to Rinke de Wit, global solidarity in the field of access to care has once again been seriously exposed. In the Netherlands (and elsewhere) we suffer from tunnel vision, as far as COVID-19 is concerned. “When the panic really breaks out, it’s every man for himself. Africa has been disgracefully let down when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.” The global context is ignored and local short-term solutions remain. “But long-term solutions are needed!”
Nobody safe
Globalization means that everything is interconnected: the internet, people, animals, climate change and, with it, infectious diseases. With COVID-19 it became eerily clear that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Because, no matter how good the quality of the health system in the Netherlands, for example, the world is as safe as the worst health system in Uganda, for example, explains Gitahi. “With PharmAccess, we saw the Omicron variant from South Africa in the countryside in West Kenya within two weeks. Within a month, the virus spread to 80 countries,” says Rinke de Wit. The trio agree that for lasting sustainable results, solidarity is needed, pigeonholing is taboo, and that the problem must be approached holistically, ie at the level of care systems, and not of individual diseases.
Healthy healthcare systems
Gitahi states: “Health is politics. And African politics is built on quicksand. In Kenya alone there are 100 different political parties. That is why community involvement is crucial in response to the next epidemic.” His wish? A new world order in which health care systems are strengthened from the bottom up. To quell pandemics, local health care providers can pass signals from the community – for example, there are many children with yellow eyes – to clinics. Communities become resilient when investments are made in human capital, education about family planning, hygiene and women’s rights.” Spronk emphasizes that children and young people must be involved in change, because they are the future. And she makes the link to climate change: “For a healthy future, we have to look for a balance between people, animals and nature.”
Power of Africa
Fortunately, according to the trio, good things have also come out of pandemics. For example, after Ebola, the African Union Agency for Public Health (Africa CDC) was created. Europe could take an example from their continental approach: pan-African procurement of vaccines, medical resources, jointly detecting mutants, testing new medicines, etc. Gitahi, following the example of the African Union, aspires to a common market, without borders, because there do not take diseases into account.
Revolution
“Europe is burdened by the law of the inhibiting lead. In Africa, major steps can be skipped, revolutions can take place, and not just political ones,” continues Rinke de Wit passionately. He thinks of the rapidly growing mobile telephony that makes banking without a bank possible, can offer digital healthcare platforms and facilitates telemedicine for individuals. He argues: “Africa could become a global leader in digitizing healthcare systems.”
3. Was covid onze wake-up call?
“It’s not someone else’s disease. You are also in danger!”, concludes Rinke de Wit. This is felt in the audience, as it turns out when someone says: “I’m afraid for the future of my grandchildren.” Still, according to Spronk, COVID-19 now looks like a holiday in the rest of the Netherlands. Gitahi also wonders if a worse crisis is needed before we get up. The panel tries to end optimistically and concludes that although human behavior is the cause, people can also provide the solution to these problems. For example, through the digital revolution, which also offers many opportunities in African countries. Start today! And excel based on the lessons learned from the past.
Door: Simone Bommelje, Amref Flying Doctors