UNITED NATIONS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN envoy for South Sudan on Tuesday called attention to the potential impact of COVID-19 on the country's already fragile health system.

"Our greatest fear of COVID is its potential impact on the already fragile health system. Disruption to vaccinations, maternal health services or routine treatment for curable diseases like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia will result in a devastating increase in deaths - likely greater than the loss of life from COVID itself," David Shearer, UN secretary-general's special representative for South Sudan, told the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in South Sudan, a landlocked country in East-Central Africa.

Shearer said that, despite widespread awareness, observance of prevention measures "has remained patchy."

"Few will submit to isolation at home. The need to earn a living means that people's behavior remains unchanged - not working today means not eating tomorrow," he said.

The envoy noted that the full impact of COVID-19 is only beginning to hit South Sudan. While its 1,900 recorded cases appear low, he said that limited testing as well as social stigma is obscuring the true magnitude of the virus.

"Some early-affected countries are now beginning to emerge from the crisis. But for others, the full impact is only now beginning to hit. South Sudan is one of those countries," he said.

"The only antidote to COVID, as we know, is prevention. The government's prevention measures, informed by the World Health Organization guidance, have been communicated constantly through campaigns across the country, supported by the UN Children's Fund and the UN Mission in South Sudan," he added.

The envoy pledged that "the UN, humanitarian agencies and donors have remained and, together, we are saving and changing lives," he said. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)