8- COVID-19 Measures
COVID-19 measures were announced with immediate efect. This comprised closures of retails and other pandemic controlling measures. It left very little time for SMEs to get ready. For instance, restaurants did not have the time to manage their food stocks. Here, we discuss COVID-19 related measures from a public policy stance. ● Public should be warned about confnement/curfew measures related to well-established pandemic degradation measures. All types of media, classic, digital and newspapers should be used to make the measures well announced. ● No confusion about diferent types of lockdown should be caused to businesses. ● Length of confnement / curfew should always be announced accompanied by a contingency of amelioration of pandemic victims’ cases. ● Daily COVID-19 casualties dashboards announced by the authorities should refect the facts and not try to dissimulate cases for political gains. ● Complete transparency should be endorsed in statistical disposures taken to account for pandemic cases. ● Regional measures could also be adapted to diferent geographical pandemic situations. ● Measures of confnement / curfew related to pandemic control should be publicly discussed to measure its efectiveness from diferent angles: medical, social, economic, etc.
9- Health and safety measures
Public health is a major economic support, and human development (health and education) is necessary for private sector development. Governments in Africa are increasingly aware that this inequity in healthcare access to its populations is hurting economic growth and are more and more embracing universal healthcare to promote a healthy and productive population. The region sufers from a dearth of healthcare facilities, especially ones that provide quality care. Besides making national insurance available for their local residents, there is a great need in Africa for increased capacity for doctors, beds, facilities and greater quality in healthcare. We hereby resume our public policy recommendations. ● Public medical authorities should strive to put in place a public medical insurance as a universal healthcare to its citizens. ● Public authorities should encourage the private and non-state owned entities to establish quality facilities with state controls and standards to contribute to the expansion of the available healthcare. ● Funding at preferential rates should be made available to healthcare operators and investors to contribute in the establishment of a competitive quality medical sector. ● All information regarding material and equipment related to pandemic fghting like masks, gloves, PCR tests, ventilators and others should be openly and transparently disclosed. ● Invite civic forces and NGOs to play a alleviating / relief role during a pandemic crisis, and facilitate their role by simplifying applicable access and controls.
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