A Japanese doctor working in the East African country of Somalia has warned if the coronavirus spreads on the continent, it will cause a healthcare catastrophe.
Hirai Ayuko works for the nonprofit group Doctors Without Borders and is stationed in Somaliland, a self-proclaimed independent state in the northern part of Somalia. Hirai spoke to NHK about the situation in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The World Health Organization says more than 20,000 people have been infected in Africa, spreading from large cities to rural areas where the medical system is especially vulnerable.
Somalia has more than 100 confirmed cases, five of them in Somaliland.
But the actual figures are believed to be higher because few people have been tested.
Hirai says Somaliland has only 15 respirators, and deliveries of medical supplies are delayed because the borders with neighboring countries have been closed.
She warned that if the number of cases surged, it would cause a catastrophe that would take years to recover from.
Hirai pointed out that tuberculosis, measles and other infectious diseases are also spreading.
She said Africa is vulnerable in various aspects, adding that if people focus too much on fighting the coronavirus, it would undermine other efforts such as vaccinating children.
