Emergency Care Systems: The Missing Link for Effective Treatment of COVID-19 in Africa

Type Journal Article Author Emilie J. Calvello Hynes Author Corey B. Bills URL https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/article/emergency-care-systems-the-missing-link-for-effective-treatment-of-covid19-in-africa/A85C835FDD3A60373EB6A9D4F53B58E0 Rights © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2020 Pages 1-2 Publication Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ISSN 1935-7893, 1938-744X Date 14/07/2020 Extra Publisher: Cambridge University Press DOI 10.1017/dmp.2020.239 Library Catalog Cambridge University Press Language en Abstract Cases of COVID-19 are rising quickly on the African continent. A critical element of any health system response to such a surge of active cases is the existence of functional emergency care systems. Yet, these systems are markedly underdeveloped in African countries. This short letter reviews the key role emergency medicine plays in epidemic disease response and actions that ministries of health can take now to shore up gaps in emergency care capacity to avoid needless death and suffering of COVID-19 patients. Short Title Emergency Care Systems