COVID-19 Updates
PPE delivered to SALFA, the health department of the Malagasy Lutheran Church
COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, a profound effect on Global Health Ministries’ partner countries. Despite our different contexts we are in many ways navigating this public health crisis in tandem, listening to each other, learning from each other’s experiences and sharing resources, including mutual encouragement. GHM’s direct COVID-related assistance to date has taken multiple forms:
PPE for medical professionals
Mitigation, particularly through GHM-supported Community Health Worker networks
Treatment, especially oxygen therapy
Aid for collateral threats, including impact on mental health, malnutrition, malaria
Regular communication with partner health leaders to provide science-based information about the pandemic
As everywhere, our partners’ pandemic picture is continually shifting. GHM’s COVID-19 Task Force is tasked with listening to GHM’s partners and to health experts in order to discern concrete ways we can strengthen our partners. The Task Force also reviews and advises on COVID-related requests, and is regularly gathering data for each of our partner countries for a high-level look at confirmed cases, deaths and vaccine doses administered. Below is a summary of COVID-19 impact in GHM partner countries based on World Health Organization (WHO) reporting as of 3 September, 2021 (covid19.who.int):
COVID-19 Status in GHM Partner Countries
The following charts share trends during the past month (Aug 4 - Sept 3, 2021) for GHM’s partner countries, again compiled from information reported to WHO:
Covid Death Trends
Covid Case Trends
Covid Vaccination Trends
Key take-aways from this update include:
Among GHM’s 14 partner countries there was a 4.7% increase during the past month of Covid deaths and cases reported to WHO.
GHM’s two Asian and two Central American partner countries had much higher rates of vaccine coverage than GHM’s ten African partner countries.
Some of GHM’s partner countries have reported minimal or no increases in deaths, cases or vaccinations, which suggests the country’s public health resources or competencies may be impacting their reporting.
Globally, over 5.3 billion doses of Covid vaccines had been administered by September 3rd, which is a 33% increase during the past month.
Many thanks to Lon Kightlinger, MSPH, Ph.D., Epidemiologist and GHM Board and COVID-19 Task Force member, for compiling this country-specific information. He wisely urges us to consider country-to-country comparisons with caution, particularly as completeness of data reported to WHO varies between countries over time. This blog will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.