Addis Ababa, April 13, 2021 (FBC) – A national COVID-19 Tracking Survey will be conducted in a bid to enhance response mechanisms that effectively prevent the spread of the pandemic in the country, Ministry of Health announced today.
The month-long survey is expected to help understand the existing prevalence rate of the virus, active and recovered cases, as well as fatalities and most affected age groups and gender.
Despite continuous efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections, severe cases and death have been drastically increasing in Ethiopia mainly due to public negligence, it was learned.
Mini-researches carried out have helped assess the situation to a limited extent and adopt guidelines of prevention which has also prompted this national COVID-19 Tracking Survey.
Launching a two-day training for experts drawn to conduct the survey this morning, Ethiopian Public Health Institute Senior Researcher, Saro Abdela, said the national research will help track the current situation of COVID-19 in the country and implement appropriate response to the pandemic.
The partners are expected to provide the necessary financial and technical support that involves 13,600 people across the country. More than 160 experts will participate in the research to be carried out at a cost of 25 million birr.
Findings of the survey are critical to determine the appropriate preventive measures that help to tackle the pandemic, the coordinator observed.
“This research may help revise COVID-19 guidelines and enhance the appropriate response measures against the pandemic,” Saro noted.
Ministry of Health COVID-19 Research Task Force Coordinator, Abebaw Gebeyehu said the research is important in identifying vulnerable groups and providing the necessary support to those groups.
Ministry of Health and Ethiopian Public Health Institute, in partnership with Africa CDC, U.S CDC, Ohio State University, and WHO, are going to conduct the survey, according to ENA.