Chronicle Editor
ACCORDING to nature.com, countries that have done well in mitigating Covid-19’s harms to health and to their economies have rapidly and successfully persuaded their populations to enact large-scale behaviour change.
National lockdowns have been effective in keeping people from interacting, to reduce the spread of the disease. Some of the policies include adequate “find, test, trace, isolate and support” systems, border controls and quarantine to prevent reseeding of infections, the creation of safe working, domestic and transport spaces, and the promotion of personal protective behaviours such as the use of face masks and social distancing as well as hand washing using sanitisers or soap.
Key behaviours drawn from case studies around the world and the World Health Organisation can be grouped into five categories: protective behaviours, behaviours if symptomatic, safe participation in health, social and economic systems, vaccination uptake, and recovery behaviours.
Experts say behaviour is influenced by factors operating at individual, community and population levels, such as the degree of inequality in a society, culture and national history (including experience of pandemics), health literacy, values and personality traits, opportunities to break rules, population density and housing conditions, as well as the quality and frequency of communication.
The country has seen an upsurge in Covid-19 infections, forcing Government to revisit strict lockdown regulations, and tight localised lockdowns in some hotspots across the country.
The main reason of the increase in new cases has been identified as erratic behaviour by the public.
It would appear people have lost guard and are no longer following Covid-19 health protocols, much to the detriment of their own lives and of their loved ones.
Presenting the post Cabinet briefing last Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa revealed that more areas in the country, which have been classified as hotspots have been put under localised lockdowns to ensure that the pandemic does not spread to other parts of the country.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the recent surge is mostly attributable to the general complacency in adhering to the set Covid-19 preventive and precautionary measures both in the communities and at workplaces. She revealed that there will be a joint security blitz to enforce the promulgated Covid-19 prevention and control measures, especially in the designated hotspots.
Min Mutsvangwa said some of the measures that will be implemented to lower the case fatality rate will be the strengthening of critical care in admitting facilities, ensuring oxygen availability in admitting centres, ensuring availability of critical care equipment and cascading critical care training.
“Furthermore, measures are being put in place to guarantee the availability of essential services through Telemedicine, integrated outreach, and equipping existing treatment centres with monitoring equipment, medications, Personal Protective Equipment.
In addition, Cabinet agreed that home-based care will be strengthened by accelerating the introduction of the concept of a Virtual Hospital (home-based care).
The nation is advised that as a result of the current surge, the Risk Communication and Information Subcommittee’s subnational structures have increased awareness campaigns across the country, focusing on the most affected areas,” said the Minister.
As the pandemic threatens our health and livelihoods, it is important to remember that each and every individual has a role to play to stop this pandemic. Not even the best medical facilities in the world can stop the pandemic, but only human behaviour change can stop Covid-19!
Online Reporter