“We have a very strong relationship with the countries, not only African Portuguese Speaking Countries (PALOP), but also from CPLP, which includes East Timor”, said Fernando de Almeida, regarding traditional collaboration between this institute and the laboratories of Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).
Even before the pandemic was declared, INSA made itself available to help the laboratories of these countries and immediately received requests for cooperation from some states, such as Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
Collaboration in this pandemic phase has been registered with Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Angola.
Regarding São Tomé and Príncipe, Fernando de Almeida explained it’s “the most recent” collaboration.
“We have been giving , not only technical and evaluation support or help in the methodology they are implementing, but we have also done some tests to compare and to understand the moment of distress they had there”, he added.
And he continued: “With Cape Verde the same thing. We are helping to assemble the technique and we are collaborating permanently “.
“Today, fortunately, new technologies allow us to make these videoconferences and it is much easier, as we are relatively unable to travel to these countries,” he added.
In Guinea-Bissau, INSA is supporting field technicians, with whom Portuguese specialists have been exchanging knowledge by videoconference. In this country, “the methodology was based on the equipment and teaching” of INSA “for the training of human resources since Ebola”.
“We were able to do the training. Fortunately, nothing happened in Guinea-Bissau about Ebola, but while we were there we trained people and some equipment remained there. Now, they already managed to use this methodology “, he said.
The collaboration is also extended to Angola, a country where INSA has been collaborating with tests and which it is “permanently in conversation”.
With Timor-Leste, the institute’s specialists have been exchanging scientific and technical information about new tests, namely which ones should be used.
Collaboration with these countries is expected to increase soon, as INSA is in articulation with Camões – Cooperation and Language Institute – is seeking what type of collaboration, like other institutions, can provide to Angola, Mozambique, Timor-Leste East, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Cape Verde. Fernando de Almeida believes these countries already have, in general, the capacity to respond to the pandemic.
“They may have some momentary difficulties, but I have the idea they have the capacity and everything is going as desirable, given the circumstances of this pandemic,” he said.
Globally, according to a AFP News agency report, covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 214,000 deaths and infected more than three million people in 193 countries and territories. More than 840,000 patients were considered cured.
The number of covid-19 deaths in Africa has risen to 1,467, with 33,273 cases of the disease reported in 52 countries, according to the most recent statistics on the continent’s pandemic.
Among CPLP countries, Equatorial Guinea leads in number of infections (258) and one death, followed by Cape Verde (113 and one death), Mozambique (76), Guinea-Bissau (74 and one death ), Angola (27 infected and two dead) and São Tomé and Príncipe have eight confirmed cases.
In Portugal, 948 people out of 24,322 confirmed to have died, and there are 1,389 recovered cases, according to the Directorate-General for Health.
The disease is transmitted by a new coronavirus detected in late December in Wuhan, a city in central China.
