Fewer than half of nations have adequate infection prevention and community engagement systems in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
“There are still many gaps in the world’s defenses, and no single country has everything it needs,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.
Only 48% of countries have infection prevention and control programs and standards for water, sanitation, and hygiene in place to combat the coronavirus, according to the organization. Fifty-two percent lack a community engagement plan that governments can use to educate their population about coronavirus preventive measures.
Nearly one-third of countries lack a coronavirus clinical referral system, a system through which healthcare providers can provide a continuum of care for COVID-19 patients.
There are cases of the coronavirus in 185 countries and regions, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus resource center.
