Crisis Kenya can learn from Coronavirus pandemic

Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi at Afya House, Nairobi, on April 5, 2020. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

In an increasingly complex environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, successful countries that have managed to suppress the numbers can well be those who can create or develop viable measures to respond, react and recover from different hazards quickly and effectively.

In reality, resilience can be a competitive advantage and a means of maintaining and pursuing countries ' agendas.

The pandemic has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of our health system and the ability to respond to a crisis as it arises.  The alarming spread of the strain of coronavirus, or COVID-19 globally, has led to significant closure of public areas, limits on travel both nationally and internationally, and increased self-isolation as a means of combating it.

In Kenya, the same measures have been put in place, with a call to improve sanitation by regularly washing hands and putting on of masks in public places despite the numbers gradually increasing compared to other countries.  The country has also reported minimal death rates and an increasing number of recoveries. This has posed a question if Kenya is one of the most prepared countries, along with other African states in times of crisis or it lacks combative testing and monitoring kits.

Going by different concerns, it was possible to minimize the numbers than they are now. Initially, at the early stages, before the first case was announced in the country, the COVID-19 crisis looked nothing like a crisis.

With the rise of technology in communication, we currently live in a hyper-connected world, where speed and interdependencies are increasing exponentially. As a country, we are overwhelmed by the numerous sources of information and challenges in finding what is urgent and essential. For this situation, urgent suspension of international flights and mass sensitization was essential.

Due to increased communication and interaction channels, the Kenyan government received backlash sentiments from the members of the public being accused of lacking transparency with the matter. This was due to the unorganized structure of updates and coordination between different sectors. For instance, who, how, and when to announce the number of positive cases and what measures to be taken. This was also affected by a lack of know-how by our medical practitioners at differing levels.

Such incidences have also been witnessed globally, for instance, in the US, President Donald Trump has often contradicted health officials about the severity of the outbreak and the number of test kits available.

Currently, Kenya has taken to daily updates through the Ministry of health with the introduction of more measures to minimize the spread of the virus locally as more cases are being confirmed to be domestic than imported. It is essential to communicate effectively with the public as well as with the media promptly in addition to putting up critical measures when it comes to who, where, when, and what.

Countries that are not equipped to cope with a crisis in advance tend to do so for many reasons. This could be they feel they are economically solid and they can survive even the most devastating crisis. It could be true for first world countries that have the financial capital to navigate through such catastrophe as well. Yet third world countries must remember the fact that within two years of experiencing a major catastrophe, 80 per cent of countries without a robust crisis plan would fall. 

 

Therefore, having a contingency plan does indeed seem to be an invaluable measure for every country and must be followed to the letter to protect every individual.

Another factor that as a country we need to focus on keenly is ensuring that we comprehensively understand the crisis management plan and put adaptation measures in place. As individuals and businesses, we need to comprehend that it is not business and usual and every Kenyan has a role to play to fight the pandemic.

Finally, youths play a vital role since they occupy the largest population in Kenya having an average age of 18 years; measures need to be put in place to entice them in fighting the virus together with the government. For a while, they have been the most rebellious opposing every move by the government. Pulling them together is not only a short-term activity but also a comprehensive plan that can help deal effectively with those unexpected disasters, emergencies, or other unusual events that may cause unfavorable publicity for the country even in the future.

By James Irungu – PR and Communications Professional.