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Africa could be worst affected by A/H1N1 flu: S. African ministerJOHANNESBURG, Aug 11, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Although Africa was the last continent to be affected by A/H1N1 flu, it may become the most severely affected continent, South Africa's health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Tuesday. "What is of particular concern to us as Africans is that although the pandemic has spread to our continent last, we may be more severely affected by it," he said in a speech prepared for delivery at a World Health Organization (WHO) conference on the virus. There have been at least 170,000 confirmed infections and more than 1,400 deaths globally, with 1,464 cases and two deaths reported in South Africa, according to South Africa's health department. The WHO's reported cases for Africa on its website stop at 229 with no deaths as of July 31, but the organization has warned that because countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases, the records underestimate the real number of incidences. Motsoaledi said it was well-known that Africa had always been worst affected by any outbreak of a communicable disease, whether it was HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria or a hemorrhagic fever. "It is therefore essential for all countries within the continent to ensure that we are adequately prepared for all of these but in the present context prepared to deal with the influenza pandemic," he said. "What is of advantage for us is that we can learn from the experiences of others," he said. The virus was first detected in Mexico and the United States and had since spread to all continents. South Africa's first reported death was Ruan Muller, a 22-year- old university student from Stellenbosch. Motsoaledi pointed out that after it became clear globally that containing the virus was not possible, it became more effective to mitigate its effects. Besides the social disruptions, of particular importance to Africa was the additional strain on health staff, hospital beds, laboratories and resources. He noted that epidemics and pandemics could have enormous social and economic consequences in a closely interconnected world, citing the disruptions caused by the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The recent cholera outbreak in some southern African countries had also caused disruption among populations in the region, but that outbreak prepared the region well for this pandemic, he said. The conference would help to examine the potential impact of the virus and address any shortcomings that may exist in preparedness plans. Meanwhile, the health department in the Eastern Cape planned to send teams of "health promoters" and communicators to various parts of the province for a public awareness campaign on swine flu, the department said earlier on Tuesday. They would distribute pamphlets at taxi ranks and other public places. |