More
    HomeLocal NewsSADC bans meetings over COVID-19

    SADC bans meetings over COVID-19

    Published on

    spot_img

    Harare(New Ziana) – The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has temporarily suspended regional meetings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which has now reached the sub-region.

    This was agreed by Health Ministers from Sadc at an emergency meeting held in Tanzania on Monday.

    The meeting was held to discuss ways to effectively deal with COVID-19 following the first confirmed cases of the deadly virus in South Africa.

    “The meeting recommended a temporary suspension of SADC regional face-to-face meetings and encouraged utilization of modern technology such as video-conferences, Webinars and Skype Calls for holding such meetings until such a time when the situation has been contained,” read a communiqué released at the end of the meeting.

    “The temporary suspension (is) to be monitored by the Chairperson of Council, supported by the SADC Secretariat.”

    Sadc said the Dar es Salaam meeting received updates on COVID-19 and measures taken at global level by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deal with the virus and from the Chinese government, where the virus first broke out.

    Member states were urged to put in place National Preparedness and Response Plans as well as contingency and emergency funds to address gaps in prevention, impact mitigation and other interventions.

    Sadc countries were also urged to align country plans to continental strategies and utilize the existing technical structures such as the Africa CDC Regional Coordinating Team in Zambia and WHO.

    “The meeting also urged member states to institute Peer Review Mechanisms to validate self-assessment reports on readiness, and requested international cooperating partners, through the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), to support Member States in the development and implementation of country plans, as well as in resource mobilization for health-related infrastructure development.

    “The meeting also agreed that member states will establish coherent mechanisms of sharing information on issues of trans-boundary public health concern, and that the Technical Committee for Coordinating and Monitoring the Implementation of the SADC Protocol on Health comprising of Directors of Public Health and Directors of Medical Services be re-established, and its terms of reference be expanded,” it said.

    “The meeting directed the revived committee to work in partnership with Disaster Management and other relevant structures at member state and regional levels, and other sectors in government (Immigration, Tourism, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Trade); Africa CDC, development partners, private sector, and civil society in line with the expanded Terms of Reference.”

    New Ziana

    Latest articles

    Warrant of arrest for Gwanda man who killed wife for denying his conjugal rights

    Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-The Bulawayo High Court has issued a warrant of arrest for a...

    Parliament pushes for decentralization of cancer treatment

    Harare,  (New Ziana)-The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has called for...

    Bulawayo to take hard stance on stray dogs

    Bulawayo, February 14,2025(New Ziana)- The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has issued a stern warning...

    No longer business as usual: Improved feeds transforming livestock production in Zimbabwe

    By Johnson Siamachira Harare, (New Ziana) — At dawn, the sun casts its first golden...

    More like this

    Warrant of arrest for Gwanda man who killed wife for denying his conjugal rights

    Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-The Bulawayo High Court has issued a warrant of arrest for a...

    Parliament pushes for decentralization of cancer treatment

    Harare,  (New Ziana)-The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has called for...

    Bulawayo to take hard stance on stray dogs

    Bulawayo, February 14,2025(New Ziana)- The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has issued a stern warning...