Ready to combat next wave of Covid-19: MoPH

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) says it is ready to combat a new wave of the coronavirus, with some local and foreign media outlets warning the world may witness a new deadly variant.

After emerging in the Wuhan city of China, the COVID-19 virus has spread around the globe. Hundreds of millions of people have been infected with Covid-19 and more than 6.3 million have died globally.

The first positive case of the virus in Afghanistan was detected in western Herat province in February 2020. Then the disease spread across the country.

MoPH says a total of 197,000 positive cases have been registered countrywide since the coronavirus outbreak. At least 16,2202 people have recovered, with 7,600 losing their lives.

Although positive cases have decreased worldwide, there have been reports that a fresh wave of the pandemic has surfaced.

Last week, BBC Farsi reported a warning from a former British prime minister about the new wave of the virus.

The BBC Farsi wrote on its Facebook page that Gordon Brown had warned that the world could face another wave of the disease because well-off countries were no longer serious enough to fight Covid-19.

Brown, who is currently the ambassador of the World Health Organisation, slammed the failure of rich countries to help poorer states fight the disease.

He warned a deadlier wave of the disease would spread, urging the rich countries to increase funding for coronavirus vaccination, testing and treatment.

In an interview with BBC, Brown said: “It is shocking that only 11 percent of people in poor countries have been vaccinated against Covid. The goal is to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the people worldwide.”

Facebook users commented on the post. Jabbar Turkman commented on the BBC post: “If another wave of the virus surfaces in Afghanistan, our country which is suffering from poverty, starvation, violence, fear and unemployment will be hit hard.

“Allah may have mercy on our nation, it is really shocking news to our homeland. We demand vaccine assistance for Afghanistan,” Turkman added.

Radio Neshat posted an article on its Facebook page on May 15 titled: “Germany warns of the return of the deadly delta in the fall.”

The article reads: “Despite the decline in Covid cases, Germany’s health minister warned of the possibility of a new wave of omicron and the return of the deadly delta variant. Karl Lauterbach said the pandemic had not ended and called on people to wear masks on planes and trains.”

Radio Farda also posted on its website an article titled “Following the outbreak of Covid in North Korea, the country’s leader ordered his army to be prepared.”

It said the North Korean president also criticised government officials for failing to prevent the disease spreading and prompted the military to prepare for dealing with the current situation.

Ready to combat new wave of Covid

Dr. Javed Hajir, spokesman for MoPH, told Pajhwok Afghan News the virus was declining but they were ready to fight the next wave of the pandemic.

“We are prepared and striving to equip Covid-19 hospitals because if the coronavirus is over, we will be able to fight another similar pandemic.”

He added the ministry was working to strengthen contagious disease centres to be prepared for combating pandemics.

He informed the ministry had enough diagnostic kits and equipped laboratories. About 2,000 such kits are available in each province and 18,000 in the capital. The ministry is trying to increase the numbers.

“Laboratories in the capital alone can test about 3,000 samples in 24 hours, and have capacity for 150 tests in provinces and 500 in districts,” he explained. He added they were arranging programmes to raise public awareness.

sa/mud

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