La Paz, August 6, 2023 (ABI).- Bolivia celebrates this August 6 in a new normality, without chinstraps and without anticovid restrictions, after the pandemic ceased to be an emergency, as a result of the execution of the Strategic Plan to Fight Covid-19 that promoted the application of more of 16 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine and managed to reach a fatality rate of 0.1%, highlighted the Vice Minister of Epidemiological Surveillance, Max Enríquez.
After three years, Bolivia left the International Health Emergency behind and since last August 1 entered a National Epidemiological Alert. Today the population carries out its activities normally, the cafes, restaurants, shops and cultural spaces are full, which in turn revitalizes economic growth.
Academic classes are 100% face-to-face, as are family gatherings.
“Timely diagnosis through rapid tests, the treatment given to the patient once diagnosed, and the form of prevention with vaccination have resulted in Bolivians now being able to enjoy being free of the disease, with a low , very low lethality,” said Enríquez.
When President Luis Arce took office in November 2020, one of the priorities was to face the Covid-19 pandemic.
Through the Ministry of Health, the Strategic Plan to fight the disease was activated, which included massive testing to identify infections and reduce lethality, the purchase of vaccines for mass immunization, the purchase of medical equipment and supplies for establishments health and coordination with all subnational levels of government.
The vice minister remarked that the result of the actions carried out by the Government to contain the pandemic translates into the purchase of more than 24 million doses of the anticovid vaccine that were distributed to more than 4,000 health establishments in the country. .
More than 16 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were applied in the national territory.
Until last August 4, in Bolivia, 16,018,707 doses were applied to different age groups throughout the national territory, according to official data.
“The vaccine reached the most remote places of our country and that has meant that in the end we can control the disease and today we are talking about such a low lethality in the country, which is the result of this containment that has been done through the vaccination,” said Enríquez.
The fatality rate of 0.1% is the lowest during the pandemic, after the 6.2% registered in the first wave of infections.
The vice minister stressed that today Bolivians allow themselves to have direct contact between people, because with the national health alert, the use of the chinstrap is not mandatory, except in health establishments, schools and people with symptoms of disease respiratory.
He pointed out that among the lessons that the pandemic left behind, is maintaining biosafety standards to care for health, such as the use of the mask in closed spaces, constant hand washing and the use of gel alcohol.
“We have to celebrate our country now free of disease, but the disease has not disappeared, that must be taken into account and not lower our guard,” he remarked.
The national government reported that it will continue with epidemiological surveillance and timely diagnosis, strengthening the vaccination of the population against Covid-19 in all age groups and maintaining the Health Alert in the Health Services Network, among other measures.
In addition, the national Government, through the Ministry of Health, since the 2022 administration, has been working on the preparation of a Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan and other respiratory viruses to be prepared for future pandemics.
Nj/Afbs
2023-08-06 12:00:00
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