By Lloyd Takawira
Early lessons in tackling the global pandemic coronavirus “covid 19 ” from China the epicentre and the Republic of Korea shows that a United people buoyed by one resolve indefatigable towards eradicating COVID-19 is an achievable feet for Zimbabwe.
In our African culture there is an adage “kugara nhaka huona dzevamwe ” simply meaning Inheritance is copied so does good things . Moments such as the one before us require exploration of all avenues copying and pasting from those who are making frantic efforts to eradicate COVID -19
With President Mnangagwa having announced a nationwide lockdown which appears to have been heeded by all santry including his direct rival Advocate Nelson Chamisa of Number 44 Nelson Mandela Street, there appears to be an atmosphere of “Unison” a feet that made Korea and China to mention a few who have managed to contain the deadly Coronavirus “COVID -19”.
In our context abounded by a colapsing healthcare system compounded by an economic hyperinflationary situation there is need to pull in one direction , put our differences aside follow classic examples of Korea Republic which was one of the first countries to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.
Korea offers a model for other countries battling COVID-19 , as noted recently by the World Health Organization.
The Case of Korea Republic Facing a rapid, exponential increase in new infections Korea took decisive actions to contain the virus . The country applied lessons learned from the MERS outbreak in 2015, Just like Korea we need to be pro-active in our resolve to contain the menacingCOVID -19
Strong legislation
To address the Covid-19 scrouge Korea established a comprehensive legislative framework to address infectious disease and gives the government specific levers to allocate resources, collect data, and mobilize public and private partnerships . In our context there seems to be a strong legislativeframework detailing out the program of action or maybe it’s there but not communicated properly.
Strong Referal Institutions The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) was upgraded through increased staffing and training, particularly in epidemiology. Specialized divisions have been established for risk assessment, emergency operations, crisis communication, and partner coordination. Hospitals were also strengthened to capacitate response for infectious disease prevention and control; this has lowered infection risks for health care workers during the current crisis.
COVID-19 activated the country’s highest infectious disease alert level, at which the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, headed by the Prime Minister, plans and directs responses .
Transparency and Open Communication
In managing communication during the COVID-19 crisis Korea emphasized transparency and open communication, public-private partnerships, and innovative use of technology and data.
Transparency and communication have helped allay fear and prevent panic.
In Zimbabwe there have been concerns that the government is not releasing essential information raising speculation and rumour mills feasting on the lack of transparency in communication
Korea has used Big Data, such as GPS tracking data from phones and cars, credit card transactions, travel histories, CCTV footage, and artificial intelligence to identify high-priority cases and track the routes of infected individuals. Mobile technologies companies in Zimbabwe can take a leafy from Korean technology’s companies
Rwanda and South Africa
As we enter the lockdown period many Zimbabweans are fearful that they cannot afford to sustain the three week long lockdown because they are self employeed.
Zimbabwe economy is largely informal with over 70% of the able people engaging in informal jobs. However, our government should copy from Rwandan government which has offered some cushioningto it’s people during their lockdown period . In our context the Preside
