On Jan 30, WHO DirectorGeneral Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that the novel coronavirus (2019 nCoV) epidemic, centred in China, was a public health emergency of international concern. A large part of WHO’s reasoning was that “a global coordinated effort is needed to enhance preparedness in other regions of the world”. As cases continue to rise, and spread worldwide, governments and institutions are taking action to prepare for the first patients in Africa.“The risk and likelihood of getting an outbreak is very, very high”, said Ambrose Talisuna, the WHO Africa team lead for emergency preparedness. As of Feb 11, Africa does not have any confirmed cases, but suspected patients have been quarantined in Ethiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Botswana. Dr Tedros announced on Feb 5 that a US $675 million prepared ness and response plan covering February to April, 2020, had been initiated by the international community for China and globally to protect states with weaker health systems. WHO has prioritised support for 13 countries on the basis of their close transport links with China: Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

“We all know how fragile health systems [are] in the African continent, they are already overwhelmed by many outbreaks. For us, it is critical to detect coronavirus earlier [so] that we can prevent spreading within communities that can trigger a number of cases that can overwhelm the treatment capacity”, said Michel