The health system measures put into place in Eritrea to contain the spread of COVID-19 are:
* June 23: Due to rise in awareness around vaccinations and expansion of health insitutions, the regular vaccination programmes have increase and reached over 95% and the rates of communicable diseases has declined over the past 5 months. Health facilities in the region are also better equipped with refrigerators, increasing their storage capacities.
*June 3: the extensive random testing pilot launched in Asmara has now been completed. The tests covered 4659 households, and one patient was diagnosed positive. The next round of testing will take place in border towns and villages surrounding Asmara, with plans to expand the tests to wider regions.
*May 24: The President of Eritrea addressed the country’s 29th independence day celebrations, and laid out a road map of the government’s approach in tackling the spread of COVID-19:
* Strengthening long term capacities and strategies for prevention of the virus spread;
* To develop a mechanism for testing that initially starts with a sample and base-line data but whose scope will ultimately be extended to cover all citizens inside the country as well as abroad and that will include periodic monitoring;
* Enforcing strict modalities of control for the movement of people
– normative or irregular
– to and from the country;
* To develop effective and professional human capital above and beyond other factors;
* To upgrade our capabilities in the manufacturing of drugs. medical equipment and facilities;
* To foster and enhance technical cooperation with various foreign institutions and experts.
*May 17: the government launched the first phase of random extensive testing, started from several parts of the capital Asmara. The tests will be carried out in towns and villages surrounding Asmara and to all front-line health workers in the MoH and other relevant institutions.
The published information can be found here
