After the first works published by French virologist Didier Raoult on chloroquine as a potential cure for Covid-19, another study showing similar results was recently published. 

The second study was conducted at Renmin Hospital in Wuhan (China) on 62 patients aged about 45 years. The patients were handpicked to exclude those who suffer from cardiac diseases, eye, liver and kidney problems (as they can develop serious side effects from using the drug, especially in the event of overdose). 

Half of the study’s patients were treated following the same protocol used for coronavirus-infected patients (control group), and the other half received that treatment plus the anti-malaria drug. 

Results of the study show that “cough and fever reduced a day or two earlier for the group that was administered the hydroxychloroquine molecule, while pneumonia improved for 25 out of the 31 patients, as against 17 out of 31 patients from the control group. Subjects who were given hydroxychloroquine seemed to recover faster.”

Two patients had minor side-effects: one had skin rashes and the second had headaches. 

In addition to these conclusions, it seems that taking the drug when symptoms arise lowers the risks of the disease advancing to a more severe stage. 

The tested drug brings hope, in the absence of more efficient protocols. However, more research has to be done to determine the appropriate dosage to treat the infected. 

In the meantime, Chloroquine has been widely adopted as a treatment in Africa, Togo included. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma recently tweeted that the second batch of equipment to combat the coronavirus pandemic was on the way to 54 African nations. 

“That includes 500 ventilators, 200,000 suits & face shields, 2,000 thermometers, 1M swabs & extraction kits and 500,000 gloves,” the tweet reads. 

For its part, Togo, which is part of the recipients received the first batch of equipment (masks, testing kits, hand sanitizers, etc) a few weeks ago. 

Airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and Asky are ensuring the transportation of the goods in a context where the aviation sector is hardly hit by the virus. 

So far, 52 people have tested positive for the Covid-19. Twenty-two (22) of them have recovered, 3 have died, and the remaining 27 are being treated. Over the continent, 9,793 Covid-19 cases and 443 deaths from the infection are reported as of today.

“All suspension measures relative to public transport announced on April 4 are lifted until April 11, 2020.” The government’s decision was broadcasted on the national TVT channel on April 5, 2020. 

Therefore, taxi-bikes (also known as “zemidjans”), and tricycle drivers can resume activity for six days. 

The government, it should be noted, has taken steps to support the most disadvantaged social and professional groups. In the meantime, public authorities “trust in citizens’ sense of sacrifice to align with efforts made to prevent the spread of covid-19.”

As mentioned in the broadcasted statement, the government had banned on April 4, the movement of taxi-bikes and tricycles in the Grand Lomé area (located in the Gulf and Agoè-Nyivé préfecture). The decision was made by the minister of infrastructure and transport, Zouréhatou Kassah-Traoré, and the minister of security and civil defense, Yark Damehane.

Séna Akoda

To help it combat the coronavirus, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will provide Togo with a concessional loan of $131.3 million. The loan is repayable over 30 years at a zero interest rate. 

The Bretton Woods institution announced the loan approval in an official note published after the sixth review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) program with Togo. 

With the new facility, “disbursements made under this arrangement now totals around $336.4 million,” the statement further added. 

The monies which are to be disbursed immediately are nearly four times the amount expected initially. 

According to the IMF acting president and deputy managing director, Mitsuhiro Furusawa, the economic recovery which was consolidating has now been impaired by the covid-19 pandemic. However, authorities, he added, are taking immediate measures to deal with the social and economic impacts of the pandemic, while preserving the budgetary achievements it has hardly reached in recent years. 

The IMF facility is quite timely as a few days ago, President Faure Gnassingbé announced the creation of a XOF400 billion fund to help local businesses and populations cope with the crisis. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Alongside lifting the temporary ban on the movement of taxi-bikes and tricycles, the government said it will support these actors throughout the health emergency state. 

“They have been presented with some options for support,” according to the State Secretary in charge of financial inclusion and the informal sector.

In the same framework, a large number of drivers affected by the crisis were identified and talks with some of them helped find potential options regarding the kind of support they will get. 

Séna Akoda

The government of Togo plans collaboration with producers and importers of hand sanitizers. A call for expression of interest was launched in this framework. 

The move comes as the country experiences a shortage, and surge in prices of these products which are used to prevent infection to covid-19. Through the collaboration announced, authorities wish to ramp up their production to meet an ever-growing demand, as well as making sure the sanitizers are sold at a fair price. 

Producers and importers interested in collaborating with the government can register on the trade ministry’s website, latest by April 6, at 5:30 PM.