COREAM

COREAM and Covid-19

The Redemptorists are very concerned about the trajectory of the transmission of COVID-19 in Africa. The Redemptorist Solidarity Office for Africa and Madagascar, is closely monitoring the situation, and working with Redemptorist Units, and Missions and Partners.

We have shared, the following resource with all Redemptorist Missions and Partners (click image to read full resource):

The Redemptorist Conference for Africa and Madagascar COREAM, while concerned for the whole of Africa, are particularly focused on the challenges facing the countries, where there is a Redemptorist mission presence. These countries include, Angola, Burkina-Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We note, that at the early stages of this crisis, that Nigeria and South Africa, are particularly impacted.

The Redemptorist Solidarity Office, understands:

  • The importance of supporting public health systems to test for COVID-19, especially in densely populated areas. Such capacity, is essential for identifying, isolating, and treating those infected- and thereby reducing the impact on society.
  • That protecting health workers is an especially critical priority for countries with relatively weaker health system as these skilled practitioners are integral to maintaining the capacity of these health services.
  • While COVD-19 fatalities have predominantly been among people over the age of 60, the argument that Africa’s youth bulge may be a buffer, must be balanced against other underlying health factors facing many African populations such as malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.

The Redemptorist Solidarity Office for Africa and Madagascar, are working with partner organisations, such as SERVE in Ireland and the Association for Solidarity in Spain, to support Redemptorist missions and partners to combat COVID-19.

The Redemptorist Solidarity Office, are supporting the following initiatives:

  • Provision of gloves, hand sanitiser, surface disinfectant, thermometers and Oxygen concentrators to St. Rupert Mayers Mission hospital in the Makonde district in Mahonaland West, St. Albert and Mary Mount and Chitsungo Mission hospitals in Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe.
  • Equipping Tapologo’s experienced healthcare staff to be frontline responders in communities such Kanana, Mfidikwe, Phoken, Tlaseng, Freedom Park, Boitekong, and Chaneng. These are all vulnerable communities, in the Rustenburg Area of South Africa.
  • Championing broadcasted educational messages, in the Kimpese Health Zone, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as purchasing equipment and protective materials for frontline workers in the Kimpese Health Zone.
  • Working with the Mavambo Trust in Harare, Zimbabwe to develop a project implementation initiative, to protect and care for citizens, in densely populated urban areas, in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

The Redemptorist Solidarity Office, will keep, this section of our website, www.africaredemptorists.com updated, as the trajectory of the COVID-19 virus, becomes clearer.