Lessons learned from the fight against COVID-19 in the Great Maghreb.Five lessons for better resilience

Tunis Med. 2020 Oct;98(10):657-663.

Abstract

Objective: To compile the lessons learned in the Greater Maghreb, during the first six months of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in the field of "capacity building" of community resilience.

Methods: An expert consultation was conducted during the first week of May 2020, using the "Delphi" technique. An email was sent requesting the formulation of a lesson, in the form of a "Public Health" good practice recommendation. The final text of the lessons was finalized by the group coordinator and validated by the signatories of the manuscript.

Results: A list of five lessons of resilience has been deduced and approved : 1. Elaboration of "white plans" for epidemic management; 2. Training in epidemic management; 3. Uniqueness of the health system command; 4. Mobilization of retirees and volunteers; 5. Revision of the map sanitary.

Conclusion: Based on the evaluation of the performance of the Maghreb fight against COVID-19, characterized by low resilience, this list of lessons could constitute a roadmap for the reform of Maghreb health systems, towards more performance to manage possible waves of COVID-19 or new emerging diseases with epidemic tendency.

MeSH terms

  • Africa, Northern / epidemiology
  • Algeria / epidemiology
  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology*
  • COVID-19 / therapy*
  • Civil Defense / methods
  • Civil Defense / organization & administration
  • Civil Defense / standards
  • Community Participation / methods
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Delivery of Health Care / standards*
  • Delivery of Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Delphi Technique
  • Expert Testimony
  • Global Health / standards
  • Health Care Reform* / organization & administration
  • Health Care Reform* / standards
  • Hospital Bed Capacity / standards
  • Hospital Bed Capacity / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Mauritania / epidemiology
  • National Health Programs / organization & administration
  • National Health Programs / standards
  • Pandemics
  • Public Health / methods
  • Public Health / standards
  • SARS-CoV-2 / physiology
  • Tunisia / epidemiology