The coronavirus outbreak has tested the global capacity to deal with one of the worst epidemics this century leaving healthcare systems worldwide in limbo.

While African countries have yet to go through the horrid phase of its spread, developed countries in Europe and the US have intensified the search for ventilators as public health systems get overwhelmed.

Ventilators are critical for the treatment of the coronavirus and are designed to put oxygen into the lungs of patients in danger of lung failure. In Italy, due to lack of capacity, medical staff have been prioritising patients with the highest chances of survival.

CRISIS

Most of the companies making ventilators abroad have cancelled export orders, meaning that countries like  Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and others  will be grappling with a crisis deeper than that experienced by wealthier nations.

For instance, German manufacturer Drägerwerk AG now says that the 10,000 orders by the federal government  of Kenya would be stretched over the entire year, which means they won’t have the capacity to make ventilators for export.